The Genbu Story
by Hydra-Star
Summary: FINNISHED! 200 years before the Suzaku no Miko ever came to the world of the book, the first seishi were called to the service of their god. In Hokkan, the warriors of Genbu fought for their nation, their miko, and their god. Their legacy lives on...
1. The Genbu no Miko

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

A lil' key for both this and later chapters:  
"blablabla" Talking  
_'blablabla'_ Thinking

_This point markes the beinning of The Genbu Story_

_

* * *

Two hundred years ago, before the Suzaku and Seiryuu, no Miko's ever entered the world of the book, the first seishi and there Miko were called to the service of their god. In frozen Hokkan, the northern country, the brave warriors of Genbu fought for their nation, their miko, and their god. Finally, the Genbu no Miko was able to summon the beast god, Genbu, the guardian of Hokkan. Once she had protected Hokkan for all eternity, the god devoured and killed her. People say that she died because she was weak. But this is what really happened..._

* * *

**Narrator's POV**

"Takiko!" Einosuke Okuda yelled, "It's dinner time!" Where was that girl? He hoped she was in earshot of him. "Takiko!" He yelled again.

"Dad?" A muffled voice called from somewhere in the house. It sounded like it came from their library. Einosuke chuckled to himself. He should have known she'd be in there. After all, wasn't that where she spent all of her free time? He walked into the library and saw her reading a book with her best friend, Suzuno Oosugi. Suzuno was two years younger than Takiko, but that didn't stop their close friendship. They had met because Einosuke and Suzuno's father, Takago, were very close friends. "Takiko, Suzuno, it's dinner time. Come eat."

They sighed as they stood, putting their book down. "Yes father." Takiko said. They all walked back into the dinning room together.

"What were you reading?" Einosuke asked his only daughter as they walked.

"A book on Chinese history. Can you believe that the Chinese used to believe in four animal gods?"

As Takiko and Suzuno drawled on, Einosuke smiled to himself at their fascination. "You seem to be interested in the ancient Chinese," he said calmly as they sat down and began their meal.

"Oh, yes!" Takiko exclaimed, "Do we have any more books on them?"

"Hmm... I don't think so," he said, "but maybe I can find some more for you."

"Really!? Thank you father! Thank you!" she cried as she hugged her father.

The next day, when Einosuke came home, he had a surprise for Takiko. It was a story about an ancient Chinese legend called S_hi Ji Ten Chi Sho_ or_ Four Gods, Sky and Earth_. When she saw it, she was delighted. _I should have known that he would have been able to find a book quickly. After all, he _is_ a scholar.'_ She thought. For a second, she thought that she saw a green light surrounding the book, but when she looked again it was gone. She guessed that it was her imagination.

Takiko and Einosuke sat down together on the couch in their living room and Takiko opened the book and began to read the first page out loud.

_ "This is the story of a girl who gathered the seven seishi of Genbu, and acquired the power to make every wish come true. The story itself is an incantation. Whoever finishes the book shall receive this power. As soon as the page is turned, the story will become truth and begin..." _ She looked up from the book at her father. I wonder what that could mean? She asked, hoping that he would know. He was a scholar, so she thought that he may.

I don't know. Why don't you keep reading and find out, he told her. She felt a little disappointed that he didn't know, but simply shrugged it off and turned the page. Little did she know, that simple action of turning that page would change her life forever. A bright green light came shooting out of the book, surrounding Takiko. For a moment, she watched as the room that her father and she had been in disappeared in the strange light. Then everything was gone, and all she saw was a sea of the strange green light all around her. At first, she felt strangely warm, then cold, as she felt wind begin to bite into any part of her left uncovered and knee deep snow began to cover her...

When Einosuke finally came around, the first thing he noticed was that Takiko was nowhere to be seen. The book sat on the floor, still glowing with a pale green light. He frantically searched for Takiko, but to no avail. Finally, he picked up the book. The text on the page said,"_And thus, the girl of the legend opened the door to another world... _The rest of the page was blank, but words were quickly appearing before his eyes. He read them to himself out loud. They said, _The young maiden looked around her nervously. She didn't see the men come up behind her until they where already upon her."_ What was going on? Could the book be talking about Takiko? Could she have been sucked into it somehow? Of course not, that wasn't possible. However, he still sat down and began to read the quickly appearing words...

--  
**Takiko's POV**

Who had just grabbed me? Where was I? The last thing I could remember was that green light coming out of the book. My God! That's crazy. I wondered if I was just some lunatic imagining all this.

One of the men who had grabbed me looked me over, critiquing my hair and clothes as if I were simply an item to be sold. "We should get a good price for her. Her clothes are so different. It almost looks like she came from another world!" At this the other men laughed.

"Yeah, maybe she's the Genbu no Miko!" another said. This was greeted with even more laugher._ 'Another world? Genbu no Miko? What does that mean?'_ I thought. Then I remembered what the book had said._ "The story itself is an incantation. Whoever finishes the book shall receive this power. As soon as the page is turned, the story will become truth and begin..." 'does that mean that I'm in the book?'_

--  
**Tomite's POV**

That girl was in trouble. Those men were planning to sell her. Judging by the way she dressed, she was probably a foreigner. Not my problem... that is, until I heard the crack about the Genbu no Miko. That got me pissed. How could they speak so lightly of the legend? They acted like it was untrue. Then again, many people did think of it as nothing more than a myth. But it was true! I was one of the seven Genbu Seishi, sworn to protect the Genbu no Miko. Now it was my business, too.

I calmly stepped out from behind the tree I was watching from. "Put the girl down," I stated firmly. I took out my bow and quickly put an arrow to the string. Judging from the looks on their faces, I'd say I took them by surprise. Once the men saw I was armed, they quickly became cowardly.

"Listen, we'll share the prophet with you. We'll give you whatever you want. But please don't attack. We can work things out peacefully. Right?" This came from the man that was holding the girl, who seemed to be the leader. Man was he dumb.

"I want the girl," I said calmly despite the anger I felt. I was concentrating so much on the man holding the strange girl, that I didn't really notice his comrades surrounding me until it was to late. I cursed myself for not paying attention. I guess that they were just acting cowardly.

Suddenly one man charged at me, his ax held high, yelling. I quickly dodged and shot him in the neck, but not before he grazed my solder. Damn. I felt the symbol on my lower back begin to glow with a bright green light.

"Wh-what's that light?" cried one man.

"He's a demon!" yelled another.

"Run!" With that, all the men took off in different directions, running in fright. I quickly grabbed the leader before he could get away. "Drop the girl," I said as I twisted his arm into a joint lock, "or else." He yelled in pain and dropped the girl. As soon as I let him go, he ran for all he was worth. I didn't bother chasing him. Instead, I bent down and offered the girl a hand, feeling my symbol fade.

The girl quickly scrambled away from my hand as if she was scared. She probably was. "Wh-what are you?" She stammered. Great, now she thought I was a monster.

"I'm human." I replied.

"You can't be," she said, "No human can make that light. It's just like the one that brought me here-" At that she quickly covered her mouth like she had said something wrong. I didn't really understand. The light that brought her here? What the hell did she mean by that? Wait! The legend. Could that be what she meant? She was wearing very strange clothing. Stranger than any other foreigners I'd ever seen.

"Where do you come from?" I asked.

"Japan. By the way, where are we?" Japan? Where was that? I'd never heard of it.

"We're in Hokkan."

"Hokkan? I've never heard... Oh God. It can't be. Can I really be in that book?"

"Book?" I asked. Now I was really confused. What did a book have to do with this?

"Well... you're going to think I'm crazy but..."

--  
**Takiko's POV**

The strange boy who had rescued me gaped at me. I had just told him my entire story. He probably thought I was crazy. Suddenly he asked, "Are you the Genbu no Miko?" Genbu no Miko? The other men had mentioned something like that too. And now that I thought about it, the book had said something about a Genbu.

"I don't know. What's a Genbu no Miko?" I asked, very curious as to what his answer would be.

"There has been a legend passed on through the people of Hokkan for thousands of years. It says that one day, when Hokkan is in need of a miracle, a girl from another world will appear to save the country by becoming Genbu no Miko. Now is that time. Kutou is planning to attack and take us over! Their soldiers outnumber us almost three to one. Finding the Genbu no Miko is our only hope!" He bandaged his wounded shoulder as he explained. It wasn't very bad but the last thing he needed was for it to get infected.

"How will the Genbu no Miko save Hokkan?" I asked.

"The legend says that the Genbu no Miko will gather the seven Seishi of Genbu and with them, summon Genbu. Genbu will then grant her three wishes and using one of them she will save Hokkan. If you truly are of another world, please become our Genbu no Miko!" Three wishes? That sounded just like what the book said. It also meant that I could wish to go back home. How else would I get back? The more I thought about it all the better of an idea it sounded. And as far as I knew, I was from another world. If it didn't work out, then I'd have to find another way home.

"I don't really understand yet, but I will become your Genbu no Miko," I said, "How do I begin?"

"First you need to find the seven Seishi of Genbu."

"How will I know if someone is a seishi?"

"They will have a green symbol that appears somewhere on their body." He pulled up the back of his shirt a little to reveal the symbol for void, Xu, on the smooth skin of his back, like a glowing birthmark. "As you can see, you have already found one. My real name is Chamka Tan, but my seishi name is Tomite."

--  
_End of Chapter 1_

Did you like it? Please review! More coming soon!  
--_Hydra-Star_


	2. The Emperor

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

--  
**Narrator's POV**

Takiko stared. "You're a Genbu Seishi?" Tomite sighed.

"Yes, I am," he said. It was the usual response. That and disbelief.

"Great!" She said, much to his surprise. "Now I only need to find six more! But where will I find them?"

"I think we should go to the capital first. We must tell the emperor that we've found the Genbu no Miko."

She looked a little surprised. "The emperor? Isn't he important? Will he see people like us?"

"We_ are_ important." Tomite said, "You're the Genbu no Miko, The person who will save this world. And I'm a Genbu Seishi. One of the people who will help you on your quest. He_ must_ see us. He doesn't have a choice. If he doesn't want to, then I'll make him."

Takiko scowled at his arrogance and shivered from the cold. She wasn't sure if that was the best first impression they could make on someone as important as the emperor...

--  
**Tomite's POV**

Takiko looked nervous. I couldn't blame her. After all, just this morning, she had been in her own world, and now we were waiting to see if the emperor would see us. I regretted my earlier words; it wouldn't be a good idea to force the emperor to see us. He could be a powerful enemy, and we wanted him to be our friend. I'd been showing off. It's a bad habit of mine. Takiko shivered and I realized she must be cold. After all, Hokkan was a cold country, and her clothes didn't look warm. I took off my jacket and handed it to her. It wouldn't do to have the Genbu no Miko getting sick.

"Th-thank you."

"Don't worry about it."

Just then, the door opened and an old man came out.

"The emperor will see you now," he said. "Please, come this way." He began to lead us through a series of hallways. Coming from a small tribe far in the north, I was awed. I think Takiko was too, but she hid it better. Finally we reached a huge set of doors. The man opened them, and bowed as he let us in. Then he backed out of the room and closed the doors. In a chair by the window was a man in a regal robe. It was the emperor, Heika-sama. I bowed, and then realized that Takiko wasn't.

"Takiko-sama! This is the emperor! Bow, or curtsy, or SOMETHING!" I whispered disparately to her.

"Oh! Oh, I'm sorry!" She said as she curtsied.

Much to my surprise, the emperor smiled. "That's okay," he said. "Now, why are you here. In your letter you said that it's quite important."

"Your Highness, I am Tomite, a Genbu Seishi. And this is Takiko. The Genbu no miko..."

--  
**Einosuke's POV**

As I read those last words, I knew it. The woman in that book had to be Takiko. But how did she get in? The book had to be magical. I watched as more words appeared on the paper. They said,_ "The young emperor watched them uncertainly."_ So now she was talking to an emperor. That was_ just_ great! She'd have to tell me all about that after she got home. That is, assuming that she would get home. I wondered if it was possible for her to. I had to make sure that she got home safe and that that book was destroyed. It was dangerous. If that Genbu Seishi hadn't come along, then Takiko may have been sold. And besides, it was my fault that she was even there. I never should have given her that book. I was such an idiot. The man that sold it to me had said something about it being enchanted, but I had just assumed that he was a nut case who didn't know the value of his items.

--  
**Takiko's POV**

The emperor looked at us with suspicion. "Do you have any proof of this? And where are the other six seishi?"

Tomite frowned. "We don't know where the others are. We haven't found them. As for proof..." He lifted up the back of his shirt and his symbol appeared, "is this enough?"

"Yes, yes. But what about the girl? How do I know that she's the Genbu no Miko?"

Tomite looked at me and said, "You'll have to trust us there. I don't know how to tell, besides the fact that she says she's from another world."

"And you trust her when she says this?"

"Yes. I do."

"Then I guess I do too..." It was strange, knowing that two people like Tomite and the emperor trusted me. I didn't know what to say. So I said nothing...

After that we were treated like royalty. One day I went to see Heika-sama. There was something I wanted to ask him.

"Oh, Takiko-sama! Come in," he said when he saw me. I walked in the room and sat down.

"Heika-sama..." I started, "We've been here almost two weeks, and I think that it's time we move on and find the other seishi." He nodded. "I was wondering if you might have any clues that we could use."

"Hmm... I think I might have just the thing. Get Tomite and meet me in the library."

It took a while, but I finally found Tomite. As I lead him to the library, I told him about my conversation with Heika-sama. When we entered the library we saw Heika-sama sitting in a chair with a scroll in hand.

"This is the_ Shi Ji Ten Chi Sho_. It is a sacred book that has clues on how to find the seven Genbu Seishi." Heika-sama said_ 'It has the same name as the book... But if that's in my world, what's it doing here?'_ "Each if the four countries has their own version of it. I will give it to you to help you on your quest," he continued.

"Thank you," I replied. It was all I could say.

--  
_End of Chapter 2_

Please review. I still haven't gotten any reviews and I'm already done with the second chapter! Is anyone even reading this? More coming soon!  
--_Hydra-star_


	3. Tomite's Past

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

--  
**Narrator's POV**

The next day, Takiko and Tomite prepared to leave. The day before they had decided to keep a low profile while they were on the road, so Takiko had gotten some Chinese clothes (which was, as Tomite said, "an experience he'd never forget"-but maybe that's because he decided to cut the trip short. Who knows?). In Tomite's opinion, it was quite an improvement. Not that he'd let her know that. He disliked girls, if only for the reason that most had crushes on him. The only females that he had ever really loved were dead. And nothing could change that.

"Tomite!" Takiko called, "Lets go!"

"Coming!" He sighed. He had enjoyed himself at the palace. It had been nice to be waited on. The only bad thing was all the girls. At least Takiko wasn't like that. He jumped off the wall he had been sitting on and walked over to the Miko. She was finally starting to learn a little more about the legend that she was supposed to fulfill. The emperor had seen to that. Also, on the way to the capital, he had learned that she couldn't ride a horse. He had had to ride with her on the same horse the whole way to the capital. He shivered at the thought. She had held on to him so tightly that he had almost suffocated. She had also fallen of the horse about two thousand times!

Tomite sighed as he mounted and pulled her up on the chestnut horse that was tethered near her waiting for them. "Don't squeeze so hard this time!" He scolded her as she scowled at him. Then, after a pause said, "You're going to have to learn you to ride soon, y'know. It's annoying to have you on the same horse as me."

"What if I don't want to learn how to ride?" She retorted.

"To bad. You're learning whether you like it or not."

"But..."

"No buts! I'm tired of you having to ride with me!" Tomite said as he kicked the horse into a walk, and then a quick trot. Takiko turned around and waved at the emperor, and as she did so, almost fell of the horse. Luckily Tomite caught her before she cracked her skull. He slowed the horse to a quick walk as he pulled her back on the horse. She squeaked and tightly held on to him. As she did so, she heard him mutter something, but the only words she caught were, "can't breathe..." She slowly loosened her grip a tiny bit, much to his relief, but it was so scary to be atop a horse with only a saddle to hold you in. Especially after she'd almost fallen off. She looked up at the back of Tomite's head and sighed. He really wasn't that great, once you got used to him. He wasn't even that cute. She couldn't see why most of the maids, and other girls, at the palace had secret crushes on him and always talked about how "cute" he was when he wasn't looking. Some girls had_ no_ taste in boys...

--  
**Tomite's POV**

Takiko slowly lessened her grip, much to my relief. I glanced back at her quickly. She seemed lost in thought. I wondered what she was thinking about. Probably dumb girl stuff. Except, Takiko wasn't that type of girl. Oh well...

Around eight or nine we stopped for dinner in a wood on a small mountain. I quietly cooked a wild deer I had just shot as Takiko sewed a tear she'd gotten in her skirt on a thorny bush. We'd gone many miles, and dark came quickly in Hokkan. So, after we were done, we decided to camp there. I set up the tents as Takiko watched the last rays of the sun disappear behind a hill. She looked troubled.

"What's wrong?" I asked. The look of her face bothered me. It was so sad, and with the wind blowing in her hair, she looked beautiful. I shook that thought out of my head quickly. I didn't want to be thinking about the Genbu no Miko that way!

"Hmm?" She looked at me from where she was sitting, "what did you say?"

"What's wrong?"I repeated patiently. Some girls...

"Nothing. I was just thinking about my dad. He must be worried about me. I mean... I've been here for two weeks already! He's probably frantic!"_ 'Of course that's what she's thinking about!'_ I scolded myself bitterly,_ 'Unlike you, she has a family and people that care about her! Of course she'd be worried!'_ "What about your family? Aren't they worried about you Tomite? Do they even know where you are?" She asked, much to my surprise.

"I guess..." I replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Well..." She waited for me to go on patiently, "I left my family years ago. We were always poor, and with my six brothers and sisters, money was even more scarce. The whole time I knew about my powers and destiny. My parents were very proud of it and made no attempt to hide it from me. Quite the opposite. But I also knew that I'd have to leave sometime. So at age ten, I did. I knew that one less mouth to feed would help my family, and that I'd have to learn how to fend for myself sometime. I visited often and we kept in touch, but..." I paused again. Why was I telling her this? I'd never told anyone before.

"But..." she prompted.

"One day, when I came to see them, the village was gone. Just... gone. It was like it had never been there. They had had a very bad blizzard, and the winds had blown it all away. There were no survivors..."

--  
**Takiko's POV**

I stared. The look on his face was so sad. So alone. And his story was so sad. It didn't seem real. But I knew it was. No one could joke about some thing like that. Especially not with a straight face! At least I still had my father, even if my mother was dead and he was far away. And I had him, even if he was annoying. He had no one. I couldn't imagine being all alone. But that was what he'd had to live with for a long time. For the first time since I'd met him, I felt sorry for Tomite. He was always so strong, and he hardly ever acted sad, as he was then. At least not around me.

"I-I'm sorry," I said. What else could I say? He'd lost everything.

"It's not your fault. You shouldn't say you're sorry for things that aren't your fault."

"I guess so... but still. That's so sad. You lost everything!"

"I suppose," he said as he stood up and walked off. I guessed that he wanted to be alone, so I didn't bother him. I was still in shock after hearing that story._ 'I thought I knew Tomite.'_ I thought,_ 'I guess I still had a lot to learn about him.'_ The look on his face had been one I'd never seen before. He'd looked so sad. It had reminded me that he was only 16. Just two years older than myself.

I stood, still deep in thought, and began to roll out my bedroll. Man was it cold. I looked over at where Tomite was. I could just see the silhouette of his hunched form. Was he crying? It couldn't be! But... It certainly looked like he was.

--  
**Tomite's POV**

I really hoped that Takiko would stay away. I didn't want her to see me crying._ 'Doulin... Shinu... Yanata... Nami... Dikoro... Hoshi... Mom... Dad..."_ I remembered each of them, one by one. It was amazing how much it still hurt after all this time. Doulin had been the youngest. She had only been three as well as sick at the time of the blizzard. I could only hope that her death had been swift and painless. I remembered how Dad had worked so hard to support the family. He had always said, "Someday things will be better. Someday I will find a nice job. And we will live in a nice house. In a nice city. In a nice neighborhood. Some day things will be better..." But things had never gotten better. They had just gotten worse.

As I thought about my family, I couldn't stop the tears, no matter how hard I tried. Finally, I just let them flow freely, glad that no one was watching. It was just so hard._ 'Why Genbu? Why did you do this to me? Couldn't you have let them live?'_ I thought to the tortoise god. But I got no answer. I didn't really expect one. I had asked him the same question many times, but the answer was always the same. Silence. I looked behind me to where Takiko was and saw that she was rolling out her bed roll.

"I'm going for a walk," I called to her.

"Okay. Just don't go to far. It's dark. Who knows what could be out at this time of night," she replied, and shivered at the thought.

I didn't respond, thinking that she sounded like my mother had sounded when she was worried about me. Instead, I just walked off into the woods. I could feel her eyes following me, but ignored it. I didn't want her worrying about me. I didn't want anybody worrying about me. I walked and walked until I couldn't walk any further. Then I sat down on a log, and just cried. Suddenly, there was a scream. It was coming from the direction of the camp. Takiko! I jumped up, my worries forgotten, and started running in the direction of the noise. Why did I leave her alone? She could be prey to many big predators in the forest. Or worse. It could be Kutou spies out to kill her. As I ran, thoughts raced threw my head. It was entirely my fault if she was in danger. I shouldn't have left. It was my duty to protect her!

I burst into the clearing where we had made camp, and, much to my horror I saw Takiko being strangled by a masked and cloaked figure. When I charged in, I took him by surprise and he loosened his grip on her for a second. In that second, Takiko struggled out of his grip, and ran over to me as fast as she could. I quickly pushed her behind me so that I could protect her better. Then I put an arrow to my bow and aimed carefully. I shot...

The arrow only grazed the figure's shoulder. He had narrowly dodged getting hit in the neck. He then jumped up and something flew out of his cape at me. I wrapped around me and I realized that it was some sort of sticky substance that I couldn't break. When I unwillingly dropped my bow, he slowly started to drag me forward, towards him, and I couldn't do anything to stop him...

--  
_End of chapter 3_

Well? Well? Do you like it? Don't worry. I'll get some other seishi in there soon. Maybe one will come in during the next chapter. You never know. Please review!  
--_Hydra-Star_


	4. Hikitsu

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

--  
**Narrator's POV**

A strange man with silver hair and a black eye patch over his right eye looked on unseen from behind a tree as the young boy, who looked like he came from one of the northern tribes, struggled against the extremely strong cloth-type binds that held him against his will. His female companion watched in dismay as he slowly dropped his bow in the snow and was dragged toward his black caped and masked captor. She was so scared and worried about her companion that she didn't notice the second darkly caped man coming up behind her. Luckily for her, the boy was being a little more observant and saw the danger.

"Takiko! Look out! Behind you!" He yelled to her._ 'That must mean that Takiko is that girls name,'_ thought the man,_ 'Strange... It's not one I've heard before. It must be an unusual one.'_ The girl spun around to face the man, but it was already too late. The cloaked man grabbed her and then pressed a sharp knife to her pale throat...

--  
**Hikitsu's POV**

"Now, cooperate with us or else the Genbu no Miko dies!" Said the man, whom I assumed was a Kutou spy, which was holding the girl._ 'The Genbu no Miko?'_ I thought surprised._ 'Could he be talking about the girl from the legend? Could that girl be the legendary Genbu no Miko? But who is the boy?'_

"T-T-Tomite," she shuddered.

Tomite was the name of one of the seven legendary Genbu Seishi! Was this boy one of them? I absently touched the black eye patch over my right eye. It hid my mutated eye that I'd had since I was born and was only milky white instead of my normal stormy gray color.

When the boy looked up and saw that his companion's life was in danger, he immediately did what the man said and stopped struggling. I watched as he eyed his fallen bow and I knew that he was calculating the distance, trying to see if he could get it before one of the men killed the girl or himself. Then a look of despair filled his proud face and his shoulders slumped as he realized that it was impossible. He looked so childish at that moment that I realized that he couldn't be much more than sixteen. I almost felt sorry for him...

--  
**Tomite's POV**

Great. I couldn't get to my bow, and each second I wasted Takiko was in more danger. And to top it all of, if I didn't do anything, that man would kill her. The man smiled and then made a tiny cut in her throat. She flinched and I felt my blood boil. How dare he do this to the Genbu no Miko! But I couldn't do anything, and the worst part of that was that both of the men knew it. I struggled uselessly against my binds and the man holding me tightened them. Then, suddenly, he dug his knife deep into my gut. I stumbled and fell, bleeding badly.

"Tomite!" I heard Takiko yell. Her voice was fading quickly. Was I going to die? Would I die and leave Takiko helpless in a mountain range? Well... At least I'd get to see my family again...

--  
**Takiko's POV**

No. Tomite couldn't die. I couldn't be the Genbu no Miko without him! I still didn't know enough about the legend. I had only begun to get to know him. A pool of blood began to form around Tomite's body, staining the white snow red. Oh god! Was he dead already? The man who had been holding Tomite walked over to his fallen body. He silently nudged it with his foot. I heard a muffled groan come from it. Relief flooded me. Tomite was still alive.

"The bastard ain't dead," said the man who had stabbed him.

"I guess we can have some fun killing him then," said the other one.

"No," I heard myself whisper, "Please. I'll do whatever you want. But, please, don't kill him."

"Fine," said the one who had called Tomite a bastard, "then become the Seiryuu no Miko!" I was stunned. It wasn't the answer I'd expected. I looked at Tomite. He wouldn't want me to say yes. He'd want me to deny. To find the other Genbu Seishi and summon Genbu, even if he died. But I didn't even know where to begin. I didn't even know how to get back to the capital. Also, he'd saved my life. Twice. I had to make sure he lived. I knew what I had to say. I opened my mouth to reply, but just as I began a dragon made of ice shot out from behind a tree and hit the man who had just asked me to be the Seiryu no Miko. I screamed in fright and surprise as he began to freeze into an ice statue. A tall man with silver hair and an eye patch over his right eye stepped out from behind the tree. A green light was emitting from behind the patch.

"Step away from the girl," he said stepping into the sunlight, reminding me of Tomite when he had saved me on that fathful day when I had come to this strange new world..

The man holding me stared at his comrade. "Ah-ah..."  
He dropped me and ran into the woods. I immediately crawled over to Tomite and pulled him on my lap. The man with the eye patch sent another ice dragon after the man who had run and a second later I heard a scream come from that general direction as the dragon hit its target.

"Tomite? Tomite? Please wake up Tomite. Oh God! Tomite!" I cried._ 'Please don't let him be dead. Oh please. I don't know much about you... and I've never worshiped you... but you're his god... so please Genbu... be merciful and please let him live.'_ I preyed silently to the tortoise god. The man who had saved me walked over to me, the green light slowly fading. I looked up at him, tears running down my cheeks.

"Is he still alive?" I asked him, "Please say he's alive!" The man silently took Tomite's pulse. Then he leaned his ear to his slightly open mouth to see in he was breathing.

"He's alive," I breathed a sigh of relief, "but barely. I don't have enough medical knowledge to help him." I felt tears well up in my eyes again.

"You mean he's going to die?" I asked. He couldn't die! He just couldn't! I hadn't realized how much I'd come to depend on Tomite. He was always strong when I was weak. He was my guide and protector in this strange new world. Maybe even my friend.

I looked at Tomite's still face and said more to myself than to the man, "Isn't there anything we can do for him?"

"We must try to find some sort of civilization. I think that there's a mountain tribe camped about a mile south from here. Let's hope he can make it that long," the man told me as he put Tomite on a horse and began to tie him on so he wouldn't fall off. Soon we where heading for the tribe. At first I couldn't think of anything but Tomite, and I found myself staring at his limp body. He looked quite dead. Then, I realized that there was something I really needed to ask the man.

"Say... I don't think I know your name. I'm Takiko. And what was that green light?" Then I got it, "Could you be...?" He smiled.

"Yes. My name is Chen Entato, but you may call me Hikitsu." So, I'd found the next Genbu Seishi. But I was about to lose the first.

--  
_End of chapter 4_

Will Tomite die? If he does, then how will Takiko summon Genbu? And what about this Hikitsu character? Who is he? What's he like? Does anyone care? More coming soon! Please review!  
--_Hydra-Star_


	5. Love

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

--  
**Narrator's POV**

Tomite stirred. Where was he? He could hear voices?_ 'Am I dead?'_ He thought. He wondered if Takiko had made it. The last thing he could remember was her screaming his name. Then all he could remember was darkness. Slowly, painfully, he opened his eyes.

"Tomite! You're awake! Thank the gods you're okay!" Takiko exclaimed. She was very happy to see that he'd finally waken up. Even after Hikitsu's assurances that he was fine, she had begun to worry that he hadn't made it. "You've been asleep for three days!"

"Three days? It's been that long?"

"Well... Four, if you count the day it took us to get here. The tribe was farther than we'd thought."

"Where is 'here?' And who is 'we?'" Hikitsu stepped out of the shadows.

"Tomite, this is Hikitsu! He saved my life, and probably yours too."

"You really should thank Takiko. She barely left your side the whole time you were out," Hikitsu said and Takiko turned pink.

"Hikitsu! I did not! Besides, I was just worried! It's nothing like that!" Takiko exclaimed._ 'Takiko was worried about me? But why? I may of almost died but... The Genbu no Miko was worried about me?'_ He didn't know why, but for some reason it made Tomite feel glad that she had cared enough about him to worry.

"Hikitsu? Isn't that the name of one of the Genbu Seishi? Are you...?" Tomite said as he shook Hikitsu's hand. He noticed, with approval, that Hikitsu's hand was a calloused one of a hard working man.

"Yes, I am. My real name is Chen Entato, but my seishi name is Hikitsu." Hikitsu, too, noticed that Tomite's hand had many calluses. He smiled at the boy and the let go of each other's hands and Hikitsu reached his hand up to his eye. "My symbol is on my eye," he said and it began to glow. He quietly removed the eye patch and Takiko gasped. Underneath, his eye was a milky white. In the center where there should have been a pupil, there was the Kanji symbol To, which means Ladle. After a few seconds he put the eye patch back on and looked Takiko and Tomite. To their surprise he gave a small chuckle. They looked very strange. Both of their mouths were hanging open and their eyes were huge. Nether had ever seen anything like what they had seen and if they were lucky they would never have to again. Hikitsu walked out leaving the two alone, still chuckling.

"That was... Strange,"

"Strange is an understatement," replied Takiko.

"So... I was out for four days. That's a lot of time we've lost. It's good that we found the next seishi, but we really should get going and find the rest before Kutou attacks the capital or something. We should probably leave tomorrow."

"No! You need your rest! I'm not leaving until you're better!"

"But..."

"No! You need to get better. What's the use of finding the other seishi if you die?"

--  
**Tomite's POV**

"You don't know how scared I've been these past few days! I thought you were dead!" She yelled. I looked down. She was right. I didn't know what she'd been through.

"You should know by now that I wouldn't have let a bastard like that kill me. It was stupid to worry." I saw tears well up in her eyes. She turned away from me and I felt the guilt rise up in me. I wanted to hold her tight and say that I was sorry, but it was to late. The damage had been done. I watched silently as she fought tears.

"I see. So you think I'm stupid?" She asked. I could hear the hurt in her voice even though she tried to hide it. She stood up. "Fine then. I was a fool to even care if an idiot like you died! I should have known that you were immortal after only knowing you for a few weeks! I shouldn't have been scared when that man stabbed you! I shouldn't have been worried when the healers here said that there was only a slim chance that you'd live! I shouldn't have cared if a stupid person like you died. It would probably make the world a better place anyway!" I watched as the tears that she'd been fighting to hide began to fall down her cheeks. She turned and stalked out of the tent still crying silently.

--  
**Hikitsu's POV**

I listened from just outside the tent as Takiko yelled at Tomite. She stalked out of the room, tears running down her face, and saw me.

"You heard?"

"Yes." She quietly let the flap drop shut.

"How could he be so cruel? I was really worried about him."

"I don't really know him well but... Well..."

"Well...?"

"I think that Tomite has a hard time express his feelings. I don't think that he meant to hurt you. He must not be used to other people worrying about him and doesn't really know how to reply."

"Y-you think so?" She asked with a shaky smile as she dried her eyes.

"Yes."

"How do you know? You don't even know Tomite."

"I've always been good at reading people. Tomite seems to be very sad and confused. Like he doesn't really know what his purpose in life is. He also seems to have a very sad past. One that he can't really get over. It's probably a mix between the two that makes it so he can't express his feelings well."

"Well... I think you're at least right about his past..."

"I also think that he probably has a hard time apologizing because of his pride. But I also think that he cares enough about you that he will swallow his pride and, even though it will be hard for him, apologize to you."

"I guess you're right. I suppose I should apologize as well. I said some pretty mean things in there too." Takiko smiled.

"Well... We could try a little experiment to see if I'm right. I'll go in and talk to him, and you can wait here and listen." Okay... That was evil. I shouldn't be telling her to spy on Tomite... If she did it now, she may do it again... But I had to make sure that those two got back together before we left. It wouldn't do to have the Genbu no Miko and one of the celestial warriors fighting. Besides I thought my instincts where right about Tomite. Takiko's smile widdened.

"Sounds like fun. And you're right. I can find out if he's sorry this way."

--  
**Tomite's POV**

I didn't hear Hikitsu enter the tent. I also didn't hear him approach me. I was to absorbed in my own thoughts and he was almost silent. I couldn't believe that I'd said those awful things to Takiko. Also, even though her words stung, in my heart I knew they were true. Hikitsu put a hand on my shoulder and woke me from my thoughts.

'What's wrong?" He asked.

"You know perfectly well what's wrong. You were listing the whole time. Do you honestly think I didn't notice?" He chuckled.

"My, my. You are sharp. I didn't think either of you knew. But it was exactly that kind of tone that got you into trouble with Takiko." I winced.

"I shouldn't have said those things. They were cruel, and she was just worried. I really had no right to say them. It's all because of my dumb pride. I refused to believe that she was just simply worried. I kept thinking that she was treating me like a little kid. But she was sincerely worried. As much as I hate it, I'll have to apologize to her."

"I'm sure she'll understand."

"I wish I were as confident as you in my ability to convince her that I didn't mean it."

"You should be fine."

"The truth is... I'm not sure if my pride was the only reason that I was harsh with her.

"What do you think it was?"

"I didn't want her to think of me as weak or unable to take care of my self... I... I think... I think that I may be falling in love with her."

--  
_End of chapter 5_

Wow! What a cliffhanger. A pretty boring chapter, but I needed some more time to develop their characters. It will get more interesting, so please hang with me! Also, whoever's reading this,**_ REVIEW!!_** Please! I'm already done with chapter five and I've only gotten ONE review. Why I'm on the subject, thank you miLady for my first and only review! Everyone give her a hand! YEA!! More coming soon!  
--_Hydra-Star_


	6. Hikitsu's Past

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

--  
**Narrator's POV**

_ 'I think that I may be falling in love with her'_ Tomite's words kept repeating in Takiko's head._ 'He loves me? But... But... Do I love him? I don't think I do. How can I face him now? How can I ever face him again after what I heard?'_ She was sitting in her tent. She hadn't come out since the day before when she'd heard Tomite tell Hikitsu tell that he was in love with her. She didn't know how to face him. Hikitsu silently stepped into the tent.

"I'm sorry. I never should have suggested for you to spy on Tomite and I. Now you've heard something that Tomite should have been able to tell you himself."

"It's okay. I'm just... a little surprised."

"Well... Okay... But Tomite is getting worried about you. He seems to think that it's all his fault."

"I don't know how to face him," Takiko confessed. "How can I? I'm not sure how I feel about him. When I'm around him, I feel something that I've never felt before. But I don't think it's love. I don't know what to do. He doesn't even know that I heard!"

"Nonetheless, you still need to talk to him. He thinks that it's his fault that you're acting like this. You should tell him that you heard. And if you don't feel that you can do that, then you should at least tell him that it's not his fault!"

"You're right. I shouldn't let him worry for something that isn't his fault." For half a second surprise flittered across his face. Then he returned to its usually impassive form. He was surprised, although he hid it well like most of his feelings. He had expected Takiko to object. Instead she'd agreed. "Could you tell Tomite that I would like to talk to him? Please."

"Sure. I'll go tell him now."

"No! Not now! I meant She stopped. Hikitsu had already left. "Later." She finished quietly to herself...

--  
**Tomite's POV**

I was worried about Takiko-sama. Ever since the day before, she'd been in her tent. I got the feeling that she was avoiding me. Of course, she had every right to avoid me. After what I'd said to her. I couldn't believe that I'd said those things to her. Takiko meant so much to me. How could I have been so cruel to the one I loved?

"Tomite-san!" Hikitsu's voice startled me out if my thoughts. I hadn't even known he was there. Hikitsu had a way of sneaking up on you that I couldn't identify. It was quite strange. "Takiko-sama wants to talk to you!"

"Oh! Okay. I'll be right there Hikitsu-san." I walked towards the tent. Hikitsu watched me. I had to wonder how much he knew about Takiko and me. He was very mysterious. He never told us anything about himself; yet, I at least, had told him many things about me. I had to wonder how I could trust him. There was something about Hikitsu. Something dark and sad. I couldn't really explain it. And yet, for some reason, I felt that I could trust him. I almost felt drawn to him. I walked into the tent that Takiko was in. Her back was towards me.

"Um... You wanted to see me Takiko-sama? Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Uh... Yes. Please sit down Tomite-san." I obediently sat. Takiko said nothing. The silence was killing me.

"I'm sorry!" We both said at the same time. Then we looked at one another.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things. They where cruel, and I hurt your feelings. I should have been more considerate of your feelings. If you want, I guess that we can stay a little longer till I've fully recovered," I told her. To my surprise, she smiled at me.

"Oh, Tomtie-san. You have no reason to be sorry. I'm the one who should be saying that. I was only thinking of myself. You where thinking of your entire nation! And I said some pretty mean things too. I'm the one who should be saying sorry." And so Takiko and I made up. Maybe my love for her would never be returned, but, at least then, that was enough. I was happy.

--  
**Hikitsu's POV**

Tomite and Takiko seemed to have made up. I was glad. I had to wonder if Tomite knew how much Takiko had heard. Oh well, it wasn't any of my business, anyway. And last time I had tried to pry into other peoples business, it had turned out disasters. I watched as Tomite helped Takiko onto his horse and then got on himself. Takiko held onto him as I, too, mounted up. It was the day after they had made up and we'd decided to leave. After all, we needed to find the other Genbu Seishi before Kutou attacked the capital. We had already been getting some reports that some villages and tribes on the outskirts of Hokkan had been attacked and destroyed. I felt a little nervous when we started off. I knew that we'd be passing her grave. I wasn't sure if I could do it. The madness just may take me again. But I also knew that I had to if I didn't want more people to die, just like her. I didn't want anyone else to go threw what I went threw. I didn't want anyone else to suffer like I did. And if that was what I wanted, then I'd have to risk the madness.

"Come on Hikitsu-san! Lets go!" Tomite called to me.

"Yes, yes. I'm coming Tomite-san." I answered as I kicked my horse into a trot. I'd have to think about that stuff later. For now, it was my duty to protect Takiko-sama, and I would do my duty. For her. It was what she would have wanted...

--  
**Tomite's POV**

Hikitsu kicked his horse into a trot and quickly overtook me. I, too, kicked my horse into a trot and rode behind him. He was quiet. It was obvious that he was thinking about something. I couldn't help but wonder what. Takiko shifted nervously behind me. The silence was uncomfortable. The only one who seemed unaffected by it was Hikitsu.

We walked in silence for a couple miles and were making good progress, when suddenly Hikitsu stopped. He got off his horse and walked over to a grave. The grave had been trampled and the gravestone was overturned. In Hokkan, that was a great disrespect to the dead. I didn't know about anywhere else, but I suspected that it was the same. Hikitsu quietly smoothed the dirt and turned the grave marker upright.

"How dare they do this?! He whispered fiercely. I wondered if the grave had belonged to someone he knew. "They have no right to do this!"

"Was that someone you knew?" Takiko asked quietly.

"Yes. It was someone very special to me," he answered.

"Who was it?" I asked. It was rude, but I couldn't contain my curiosity. Hikitsu was always so calm. What could make him so angry? Even if this was someone's grave that had been very special to him. I didn't think that even that could make him this angry.

"Her name was Sora. She was the healer's daughter in my tribe, which was at the foot of this mountain. She and I where... lovers, I guess. One day a rival tribe attacked our tribe. We were taken completely by surprise. It wasn't long before we were wiped out. In the fray, an enemy arrow hit Sora. She died in my arms. I took her up here to bury her the next day. She'd always loved this place. She'd come here all the time. The least I could do for her was put her in a place that she had always been happy," to my surprise, he began to cry. One by one, the tears slowly slid down his cheeks. "That arrow was meant for me. She blocked it with her body. She died for me!" Now the tears where flowing freely. He wasn't fighting them anymore. Takiko dismounted and walked over to him. Slowly she put her arms around his shoulders thinking that he'd pull back. He didn't. He just cried there in her arms. I felt mixed emotions at that moment. I felt sorry for Hikitsu, but I also felt jealous. Takiko had never held me. Of course, I knew that I wouldn't want to have my loved one killed right in front of me...

--  
**Hikitsu's POV**

We camped near Sora's grave that night. I wondered who had violated it. If I ever found out, I knew that I would probably kill them. That moment kept racing threw my head. When Sora had jumped in front of the arrow meant for me. If only I could of stopped it. I hadn't even told Takiko and Tomite everything. After Sora's death, I'd just about gone crazy. I'd just wondered around. I'd even thought about killing myself. The only thing that had kept me alive was the knowledge that she'd died for me. That she'd wanted me to live. That's why I'd started my life over. I'd found a new village. Led a new life. Even given myself a new name. But I'd never loved again. I didn't think that I ever would.

Tomite and Takiko didn't talk to me much that night. I guess that they thought that I needed some time alone. After they had fallen asleep, I crept out of the tent that Tomite and I shared. I slowly walked back to Sora's grave. Once there, I was swamped by memories.

_ Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bump you!_

No... It's okay... No harm done...

Here... Let me help you pick those up.

Thank you

I'm Entato. Who are you?

Sora. I'm the daughter of the healer of this village.

_  
Sora... I_

Yes... What is it Entato?

Well... You know that I love you, right?

Yes.

Well... I mean... That I love you a lot_?_

Of course... What are you getting at?

Sora... Will you marr- CRASH

What was that?! Good Genbu, What was that?!

I-I don't know...

I didn't notice the person that followed me to sora's grave until I'd been there for a while, lost in my memories I didn't know how long.

"Hello Tomite. Out for a nice walk?" I asked him.

"I guess I can't fool you Hikitsu."

"No, you can't. Is there some reason you're here?"

"Yea. To see if you're okay. I mean... After my family died, I sort of lost it for a few years."

"You're family is dead?"

"Yea."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Well... I'm sorry to hear you're story too."

"How did they die? That is... If you don't mind talking about it."

"No. It's okay," And with that, he told me his story. "Now I guess where even," he added after he was done.

What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well... I know your story and you know mine. So now where even. It wasn't really fair when I knew you're story and you didn't know mine."

"Yeah... I guess so."

"Hikitsu... Do you think of us as friends?" He asked suddenly.

"Well... I don't really know you very well... And you don't really know me very well... But yes... I think we're friends."

"Cool. After all, we're both seishi. We share the same destiny."

"To protect the priestess of Genbu, and to be her warriors that help her summon Genbu..."

--  
_End of chapter 6_

Wow! This is a really long chapter! It's my longest so far! Anyway, if you couldn't tell with the memory thing, The first one was when they met. (Hikitsu bumped into her.) The second one was when Hikitsu was about to ask Sora to marry him but the other tribe attacked them and killed her. That's what the crash was.

Anyway, thank you to all my reviewers! I'm finally getting some! Also, thank you to my_ new_ baita (sp?), Juggalette! (Everyone give her a hand!) Thank you so much! You've helped me out a lot! Please review! More coming soon!  
-_-Hydra-star_


	7. Over the Moutain

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

--  
**Narrator's POV**

It was somewhere around noon when Takiko, Tomite, and Hikitsu reached the top of the mountain. Tomite and Takiko where on the same horse, but Hikitsu had his own. Hikitsu had acted as their guide because he knew the mountain like the back of his hand. He said that he knew it well because he had explored it as a child.

"Near the bottom of the mountain is a fairly small village. We can rest and get more provisions there," said Hikitsu as they looked down into what seemed to be endless rock and dirt. Takiko and Tomite traded a wondering look. The night before, Hikitsu had said that he had grown up in a tribe at the bottom of the mountain. They had to wonder if the village that he was talking about could be the same one. Hikitsu saw the look and immediately guessed what it was about.

"No. It's not my tribe. My tribe was destroyed, remember," he told them before they had a chance to ask.

"Oh, yeah! That's right," Takiko exclaimed as she remembered what Hikitsu had told them the night before. "It was destroyed by a rival tribe and that's when Sora..." Her voice trailed off when she saw the look on Hikitsu's face. She looked down, not able to face the anguish in his eyes.

"It's okay. The past is the past. No matter how much you wish you could, you can't change it. Besides, Sora would have wanted me to live my life and be happy," Hikitsu said when he saw that he'd upset her. He smiled a slow, sad smile. Takiko looked up at him and smiled back, but Tomite frowned. He wasn't so sure that Hikitsu was as fine as he seemed.

--  
**Tomite's POV**

It was a couple more hours before we reached the village. Takiko chattered happily about her friends, family, and world almost the entire way. Hikitsu and I mostly just smiled and nodded. She wouldn't even let us get a word in! Not to mention the fact that we didn't understand most of what she said. Finally, when we were near the village, she leaned against my back and fell fast asleep. I know that I, at least, was relieved. Hikitsu, as usual, showed no emotion. Well... At least we could talk now that she wasn't talking. We whispered, so we wouldn't wake the miko, the remaining half hour until we reached a small village that Hikitsu said was our destination.

Once we were in the village, Hikitsu found a nice, but still fairly cheep, inn. He then got two rooms, one for Takiko and one for Hikitsu and I to share, while I groomed the horses and made sure that they where settled into their stalls. Then, we both helped a still groggy Takiko to her room. I guess that all the talking that she did must have worn her out because as soon as we got into the room, she immediately fell onto the bed and went back to sleep. We tossed a coin and Hikitsu lost, so he had to take of her shoes, but nether of us knew what to do about the rest of her clothes. In the end, we just pulled the blankets up over her and went into our room, which was across the hall.

As soon as he was done unpacking his saddlebag, Hikitsu got up to leave our room. I asked him where he was going, but he didn't answer me. I shrugged it off as the door swung shut behind him deciding that he didn't hear me. I didn't think that Hikitsu would purposely ignore me. Then I went back to unpacking my own things.

--  
**Uruki's POV**

"Hey! You! Waitress!" One of our many customers rudely yelled at me. I turned to face him. He was sitting near the back of the room with some friends. He also smelled like he hadn't bathed in a couple months.

"Yes? Is there something I can do for you sir?" I asked him in my sweetest voice that I reserved for idiots and people who where rude.

"Yea! Get me another sake! Right away! Hic" Great. The guy was drunk. Judging by the looks of him, he was really drunk. Just what I needed. I handed him a bottle of the sake that he wanted and turned to walk away from him and his friends. That is, until the idiot grabbed my ass.

"Get your fucking hand off my ass right now!" I yelled at him. A couple people turned to stare and the guy's friends cheered, but most of the people just ignored the commotion.

"Oh, come on girl. Yer cute. Ye want to share my bed t'night?" He replied as he let go of my butt.

"No way!" I cried and stalked off. Genbu, the world was full of perverts. I watched as my grandpa kicked the man and his friends out of the cafe part of the inn, that we just happened to own, telling them that he was drunk and to go back to his room. Then, he walked up to me, a worried look on his face.

"Are you okay Bai-Ling?" He asked me.

"I'm fine, Grandpa. He's just another perv. Besides, you know that I can take perfectly good care of myself."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. I really shouldn't worry so much." I smiled at him. I didn't want him to worry about me, although I knew that he always would. After my parents died, he had taken me in when no one else would. He had even given me a job at this inn that he owned. Because of the green symbol that appeared on my left shoulder, none of my other relatives had wanted me. They had all said that I was a monster, or possessed by an evil spirit. They had said that I would kill them all. Even that I had killed my parents! But not Grandpa. He had recognized the strange sine as one of the seven Genbu Seishi's symbols. From the time I was a little girl, he had told me strange and wonderful stories about the Genbu no Miko, her seven seishi, and the legend that she was supposed to for fill. He had told me how the Genbu no Miko would come from another world and using her divine powers, would save us all. He had also told me that I was one of the seven Genbu Seishi who would protect her, as well as help her summon Genbu, our sacred god. He had told me that a day would come when I would have to leave him and our village. That although I may never see him again, it would be worth it because I would be saving my entire country and thousands of people. That even though I was called Bai-Ling now, my fellow seishi and the miko would call me Uruki because that was my seishi name. I had always trusted and believed him. And I still wondered when that day would come and I would leave everything I had ever known.

"Miss! Miss!" I was knocked out of my thoughts by a customer's call for me. Oh well. At least he wasn't drunk. I walked over to him and his friend, who had been talking together.

"Yes?" I asked sweetly. "What might I do for you today, sir?"

"May my friend and I please have some refills for these drinks?" He indicated to two empty cups beside him and his friend.

"Of course. I'll be right back with them," I replied and hurried off to the kitchen to get the drinks. Soon I had them and I walked back out of the kitchen with the two drinks. I began to head towards the two men's table when POW! I ran straight into a tall man with long silver hair and an eye patch over his right eye...

--  
**Hikitsu's POV**

The girl sat in the floor where she had fallen after running into me. The red drinks that she had been holding were all over her front and the glasses that she had been holding lay by her feet. Lucky, they weren't broken. I reached down a hand and helped her to her feet.

"I-I'm sorry," she shuddered looking at her feet. She looked about Tomite's age. Somewhere around fifteen.

"It's okay. No harm done. But you'd better clean up," I replied looking at her now red clothes and handing her some napkins.

"Y-yes." She tapped another waitress on the shoulder as she began to dry herself off. "Make sure those two men over there get their drinks." She told the waitress as she pointed to one of the tables that two men were talking. The other girl nodded and headed towards the kitchen to get the drinks. The owner of the inn, an old man who looked like he was 70 or 80, walked towards us.

"Bai-Ling! Are you all right?" He asked concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine Grandpa," she replied. Then, the man turned to me.

"Please forgive my granddaughter, sir. She didn't mean any harm," He told me.

"It's okay." I repeated. The man turned back to the girl.

"Bai-Ling, you've better go clean up," He told her and she walked off. Then, turning his attention back to me, "Come. Let me buy you a drink and we can talk." Soon, we were talking over some very good drinks. The old man was quite interesting. When he told me how his granddaughter had come into his keeping, I had to feel sorry for the girl.

"Why didn't her other relatives want her?" Okay, that was rude. It was also prying into another person's private life, which I knew that I wouldn't like, and talking about someone behind their back, but it was the only thing that he hadn't told me.

"Well.. I doubt you'll believe me but..." With that he told me about the strange green symbol that appeared on the girls shoulder. "I'm not sure, but I think that she is the Genbu Seishi Uruki," he finished. I stared. So, we had finally found the third Genbu Seishi. But how could I tell this kind old man that we would have to take his only granddaughter away from him? Besides, he wasn't sure, and we needed to be positive.

"See! I knew you wouldn't believe me!" The man said and laughed. "Most people don't."

"No. I believe you. You see..." Great. How could I say it? I decided that it would be best to just go with the flat truth. "I am the Genbu Seishi, Hikitsu. My companions are the Genbu no Miko, Takiko, and another one of the Genbu Seishi, Tomite." Now it was the old man's turn to stare. Then, to my surprise, he laughed.

"Well then... I guess that I'll just have to meet your companions. Why don't you bring them to my room tomorrow morning and we can discuss things then." He was taking this quite well.

"Are you sure your okay with this, sir? She is your only granddaughter. You do realize that she'll have to come with us, right? She may even be killed." I asked him.

"Yes, I'm fine. I always knew that she'd have to leave me someday." For a moment he looked sad, but then he pushed it away with a smile and said, "I really should begetting back to work. I do have an inn to run, y'know. It was a pleasure to talk with you, Hikitsu. I'll see you tomorrow morning with your companions. Until then..." And with that he disappeared into the crowd walking towards the kitchen. I sat there for a while, finishing my drink and thinking over what I'd just learned. Then, I stood and walked back to the room I shared with Tomite. As I walked, I wondered if I would be able to wake up Takiko so that I could tell her the good news. I decided that it would be better to make Tomite wake her up if she was still asleep. After all, I'd had to take off her shoes. I chuckled to myself at the thought of how Tomite would probably wake her up, and opened the door to our room...

--  
_End of chapter 7_

Thank you, once again, to all my reviewers and to my editor. You've really helped me out. I can't thank you enough. But I still have only around_ 5 _reviews! Please review! I need more. Does anyone even read these a/n's? Well anyway, more coming soon and don't forget to review!  
--_Hydra-star_


	8. Uruki

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

--  
**Narrator's POV**

Takiko, Tomite, and Hikitsu waited outside the wooden door that was the manager's office. Hikitsu held up a hand and knocked softly on it. At the same time as Takiko yawned. She was tired from getting up so early. To make herself a little more awake, she had eaten some of the candy that she had found in her pocket after she had come to this new world. It must have been in there without her knowing it. Unfortunately, it hadn't seemed to take effect yet.

"Who is it?" They heard the manager call.

"It's me, Hikitsu, and my friends. You asked us to come here yesterday," replied Hikitsu.

"Oh! Is it that time already? Bai-Ling, would you please let our guests inside?" The voice answered.

"Yes, Grandfather," a new, young, female voice answered. The door was pulled open, and a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, with long brown hair that was pulled back in a bun on the top of her head, stood in the doorway. She let them in giving them a strange look.

"Hello Uruki," Hikitsu greeted her. She scowled at him.

"You're that man from the other day. How do you know my seishi name? I know that I never told you. In fact, I didn't even tell you my real name!" She turned to her grandfather. "And why didn't you tell me that we were having guests. I would have made something to eat instead of deciding to let you fend for yourself today!"

"Well... You see... Um..." It was obvious that she wasn't an easy person to talk to when she was angry and that he was picking his words very carefully also that he wouldn't anger her more. "These two men are two of the legendary seven Genbu Seishi." She didn't seem impressed. "A-and the girl's name is Takiko-sama. She is the legendary Genbu no Miko that I've told you about." At that the girl's look changed. She quietly eyed Takiko, looking her up and down for a couple minutes, while the four others waited for some sort of response and Takiko fidgeted nervously. Then, to their surprise, she held out a hand to shake.

"My real name is Bai-Ling, but you may call me Uruki. It would be my honor to serve and protect you as one of the seven Genbu Seishi." A bright green light began to fill the room and the Kanji symbol for female or girl, Nu, appeared slowly on her left shoulder...

--  
**Takiko's POV**

I took the offered hand hesitantly. She gave me a firm handshake and then turned to her grandfather, just as the green light began faded slowly, as did her symbol. I just couldn't get used to this symbol thing. Why did they have to glow so brightly? Where they supposed to blind me? I wouldn't be surprised if I was blind by the time I got out of this world. Or book. Or... Whatever it was.

"I think that we should talk some things with our guests before you leave," Uruki's grandfather said to her.

"I agree," said Hikitsu. The man showed us to a small table, that was just big enough to fit all of us, and Uruki began to cook something that smelled really good in their small kitchen. Once she was done, we began to talk over a fine meal. _'Well... At least now we have someone who can cook all right,'_ I thought. I had learned on out journey that both Tomite and Hikitsu were failures as cooks, and I wasn't that great of one either. At least I was better than them. I giggled at that thought.

"Hey! What's so funny, Takiko?" Tomite asked me.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about Hikitsu's and your cooking skills." He blushed, embarrassed.

"Hey! You're not that great of one either!"  
Hikitsu just looked at us like we were crazy. Uruki and her grandfather had an identical look on their faces.

"Well, at least I'm better than you! Say, Uruki, you're a good cook. Will you cook for us on our trip?" I asked the surprised seishi.

"Uh... I suppose so..." She replied.

"Great!" I cried. Hikitsu looked embarrassed.

"Uh... Takiko... Have you been eating that candy stuff, or whatever you call it, from your world again?" He asked.

"Yes. Why?"

"..."

"So, that explains you going from sleepy to hyper," said Tomite. Uruki and her grandfather looked really confused.

--  
**Hikitsu's POV**

It was about three more days before we were able to leave the town. As always, Takiko rode with Tomite, so that left Uruki to ride with me. I heard her grumble something about being able to ride her own horse and I retorted that we didn't have enough horses for that and not enough money to buy one. She pouted. She was actually pretty cute like that. I smiled a bit, something that I don't do often enough. As we started moving I felt her arms slowly snake loosely around my waist. Suddenly, I kicked my horse into a trot, just to see how she would react. She yelped in surprise and held onto me a bit harder.

"Hikitsu-san," Tomite said pulling his horse up beside me, "Where should we go now?"

"Well... I'm actually not really sure. I was hoping that you'd have an idea," I replied.

"Oh! That's great Hikitsu! Just great! You don't even know where we're going!" Uruki said sarcastically from behind me.

"Well then, if you're so smart, why don't you think of somewhere for us to go!" I told her.

"Well... she paused, thinking,  You're going to think that I'm crazy for even thinking of it... but... we could go to Mt. Taikyou and see Taiisukun. Maybe she could help us on our quest." Tomite and I gaped at her. Takiko just looked confused. I hadn't expected Uruki to take that threat literally!

"Where is Mt. Taikyou? And who's Taiisukun?" Takiko asked us.

"Mt. Taikyou is at the center of this world, and Taiisukun is the creator of it. She is all powerful, and some people even worship her like they do the four gods!" Tomite replied.

"Um... Er... Okay... Then lets go find her. If she's all powerful, then she must be able to help us!" Takiko exclaimed. Uruki, Tomite, and I just looked at each other. None of the others really knew what they were in for. They didn't really know about Taiisukun. But I did. I had never told them but, after Sora's death, I had spent two years training with Taiisukun and recovering from a wound that I had gotten in the battle same that Sora had died in at Mt. Taikyoku. She had stopped me from killing myself, and told me that Sora would want me to live. It was the only thing that had kept me alive these past years. The others _really_ didn't know what they were in for...

--  
**Taiisukun's POV  
**  
So, they were going to see if they could get help from me. I knew my former pupil's worth, but what about his companions? They would have to prove their worth before they set a foot on my mountain, not to mention saw me. I would have to make a test for them. Hmm... What tricks could I use...

--  
_End of chapter 8_

Taiisukun is planning to test them just like what she would do to Miaka 200 years later. Please give me some ideas for what she could do. I don't want to use what she did to Miaka. Just put them in your review. Thanks! More coming soon! Don't forget to review!


	9. Hikitsu Disappears

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

--  
**Narrator's POV**

"So, the Genbu Seishi and their Miko are on their way to Taiisukun... We better make sure they never make it," said the Kutou emperor to one of his many spies that he had watching the Genbu no Miko and her three Seishi, "Miboshi," He turned to the tall, evil looking, black haired man bowing in front of him. Once the man looked up, he continued, "take care of them."

On Mt. Taikyoku, Taiisukun watched him threw her mirror. "Hm... Maybe this is the only test I will need for the Genbu Seishi. Miboshi is the only known Seiryu Seishi. Sense the Miko probably won't appear for many years, this could be a good test of his powers, too. Yes... Better to see how good he is when he's young. That way, if the Seiryu no Miko ever comes to me for help, I'll only need to test six seishi and the Miko instead of seven seishi. I can just leave him out of my test. Yes... Of course, that's only if he passes..." She smiled to herself. She would have to get Hikitsu out of the way for the test. He had already shown his capability many times during his apprenticeship to her. Hm... The question was... How? In the worst case, she'd have to teleport him to her. He'd probably be mad with her, and try to get back to his friends, but that was only a minor nuisance. She knew that she could handle him. He had never become as strong as her. He probably never would.

Taiitsukun had to wonder if Hikitsu was still messed up about that girl... What had her name been? Oh yes! Sora. That was it. Or at least something similar to that. The whole time he had been on Mt. Taikyoku, he had moped around mumbling things about her. He had only concentrated on his training after she hit him about twenty times!. Oh well... Taiitsukun sighed. She had to wonder why he had even left Mt. Taikyoku in the first place. He could have become so much stronger if he had stayed with her a year or two longer. He had said that it was because of his duty and that the Genbu no Miko would probably be coming soon. He had said that he would have to start protecting her as one of the Genbu Seishi as soon as she appeared. Taiitsukun had protested to loosing her first student and had told him that she would tell him when the Genbu no Miko appeared and he could leave her then. But in the end, she had let him go. Her assistant, Nyan-Nyan, had been even more upset than her to see him go. She and Hikitsu had become very close. Almost like a brother and sister. Taiitsukun sometimes wondered if Nyan-Nyan had a crush on him. But every time she asked her, Nyan-Nyan would just blush and say she didn't. Still... She couldn't help but wonder...

--  
**Uruki's POV  
**  
Hikitsu was leading us to Mt. Taikyoku. None of the others, including myself, could figure out how he knew the way. He would refuse to tell me, no matter how many times I asked. Man, was he frustrating. He never told me anything! Takiko had asked me to forgive him and said that he had his reasons, but I just couldn't see what they were. True, I had been a little mean to him earlier, but still. He should treat me nicer. I was a Genbu Seishi, too. I was willing to be nicer, if he would do the same for me. Men. But... Maybe it was my fault. Now that I thought of it... He had been being nice... And I had been being mean... At first. I would have to make sure to apologize for that as soon as I could. Probably when we camped. After all, we would be together for a long time. It wouldn't do to be on bad terms with someone that I would have to be with until we summoned Genbu. Who knew how long that could be? I sighed. I hated apologizing.

"Is something wrong, Uruki?" Asked the Genbu no Miko.

"No. I'm fine, Takiko-sama," I replied.

"Uruki, please take off the 'sama,'" she said for about the billionth time, "It makes me nervous. I'm just a normal person, like you, Tomite, or Hikitsu." I wasn't so sure if Hikitsu was a normal person, but Tomite and I were, so I got what she meant. At least, if you overlooked the fact that we were seishi.

"If you don't count the teeny, tiny fact that you come from another world," Tomite added. All of us laughed but, you guessed it, Hikitsu. Did that guy have no sense of humor? Maybe he simply wasn't used to having a new member of the group. I'd just have to hope. But still... You'd think that he'd at least laugh at Tomite's jokes even if he didn't like me.

It was a couple of hours before we stopped for lunch. Tomite and Takiko chattered happily. Even Hikitsu said some things. He even smiled once. They were all so close. I felt a little left out. Maybe even a bit jealous. Okay... A lot jealous. They just all seemed so happy. I felt like an intruder. I felt the same way when we stopped for dinner a while later. As the others set up the tents, after we were done, I pulled Hikitsu aside.

"Um... I... I'm sorry. I was pretty mean earlier. I was just surprised that you knew that I was a seishi. Also... Our first meeting was kind of embarrassing." It was so hard to apologize. It had never been one of my strengths. I knew that I was blushing. Hikitsu ignored it.

"That's okay. I suppose that I wasn't very sensitive. It must have been quite a shock," he told me. My blush deepened. Now I felt like a delicate young lady who fainted at every tiny shock that she got. It wasn't a very good thought. I had always wished that I'd been born a boy. I walked off and began to help Takiko with our tent. I'd prove to him that I wasn't useless. I watched out of the corner of my eye as Hikitsu walked over to Tomite and began to help him with their tent. As they worked, they talked quietly in whispers.

"What did you want to talk to Hikitsu about?" A voice asked. I jumped, surprised. But it was just Takiko.

"Oh... Nothing..." I told her. I didn't want to admit to her that I had been apologizing to him. I was afraid that she would think of me as weak. I wanted to make a good first impression on these people. They weren't just important, they acted like they were. They each had their own quality that made you know as soon as you saw them that they were powerful people. Tomite had this proud look about him and, even though he could be boyish sometimes, the was he held his bow with such ease that it looked like it was part of him, not just his weapon, told you that if you got in his way you would pay. Even though she was sometimes an idiot, Takiko had a regal look about her and the way that she held her body. Hikitsu was so quiet and serious that he was almost scary. His eye patch made him look even more scary. But on the few occasions when he smiled, he looked kind and gentle. But I... Well... I just looked like me. There was nothing special about me. I was just another person. I had to wonder if Genbu had made a mistake and picked the wrong person to be Uruki. I simply felt like Bai-Ling. Not some grand, legendary, protector of the Genbu no Miko and savor of Hokkan...

--  
**Hikitsu's POV**

I was glad that Uruki had apologized to me. I didn't really feel like she had done anything wrong, but she must have thought that she had. It had given me a chance to apologize to her. I been wondering if I would ever get a chance. I was being a little mean to her. She must have thought that she had hurt my feelings or something. I just wasn't good around other people. I was more relaxed around Takiko and Tomite because I knew them well and they knew my story. I would have to get used to Uruki if I didn't want to hurt her feelings again.

Tomite and I finished putting up our tent just after the girls finished putting up their's. We all sat around the fire and talked a little while. For the first time, I noticed that Uruki didn't talk much. No... It wasn't that... None of us were talking to her so she didn't say anything. She just sat there and watched the rest of us. When I thought back, it had been the same way at lunch and dinner.

"Say, Uruki... What was it like, back where you came from? We were all there for a little while, but we didn't get to see much," I asked her. I wasn't really interested, but I wanted to get her in the conversation. Besides, it was a good way to learn more about her.

"Well..." She replied as the other two ignored us, already raped up in their own conversation, "The inn was always busy. As you know, I worked there as a waitress. There were a lot of perverts in my town. A lot of people got drunk often, too. Hm... There weren't very many good things about it. It wasn't very big, but that didn't stop it from being crowded. There were a lot of homeless, too. I guess the only reason that I really liked it was because I grew up there. I didn't really know anything else. What about you, Hikitsu? What was the place that you grew up like?" I stiffened. I didn't want to tell her about what happened to my tribe. but she deserved an answer. She had told me about her home. Uruki saw the sad look on my face and looked down. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she said, "I understand." I quickly swallowed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you. My home has many painful memories for me," I said. She simply smiled and nodded. I stood up and addressed the group.

"I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

"Yes. We better all go to bed. It should be a long day tomorrow," Said Takiko. Tomite yawned. I watched as Takiko and Uruki disappeared into their tent and then followed Tomite into ours, trying not to think of Sora...

--  
**Tomite's POV**

When I woke up, I was surprised to find that Hikitsu wasn't in the tent. I walked out and looked around, but he was nowhere in sight. Where could he be? He never disappeared like this! I decided to check in the girls tent and see if he was in there. I just hoped that they weren't asleep or changing. I didn't want to face Uruki's wrath. She acted like she could do some serious damage if she wanted to. Luck wasn't with me. I quietly peeked into the tent, and saw Uruki just about to take of her nightshirt. She saw me, and screamed.

"PERVERT!! GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!" Of course, that woke Takiko, and when she saw me she was just as mad.

"No! No! It's a mistake! I was just looking for Hikitsu!" I said as they threw stuff at me. When she heard that, Uruki stopped for a minute.

"Hikitsu? Why would he be in here? Isn't he in your tent?" She asked as Takiko stopped, too, and looked at me.

"No. I don't know where he is," I answered wordily...

--  
_End of chapter 9_

Where is Hikitsu? Will the remaining Genbu Seishi and their Miko be able to find him? Is he in danger? Is this part of Taiitsukun's test? Who knows? More coming soon! Don't forget to review!


	10. Miboshi and Taiitsukun

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

--  
**Narrator's POV**

"Well well well. Look at what we have here...The Genbu no Miko and two of her seishi. That's strange. I thought that there were three seishi... Oh well." He shrugged as Takiko, Tomite, and Uruki looked out of the tent that they had been fighting in.

"Who the hell are you?" Shouted a still mad Uruki. "And what have you done with Hikitsu?! If you've hurt him..." She let the threat hang.

"Hm... Who's Hikitsu? A friend of yours?,"  
A tall man with greasy black hair that flowed easily down to his waist became visible outside the tent. He would've probably been extremely handsome, save for the evil smirk he wore. Oh yeah, another thing; he was floating a couple feet above them, feet folded Buddist-style under him. And...it almost looked like a third eye, still ghostly and hard to see, was stuck in the middle of his forehead.  
"I am Miboshi of the Seiryu Seven. I have been ordered to kill all of you!"

"You'll find us a lot harder to kill than you seem to expect!" Tomite challenged him as his symbol began to glow filling the area with a bright green light. Uruki felt her symbol begin to do the same and saw it appear on her bare shoulder. Miboshi just smiled...

--  
**Hikitsu's POV**

When I woke up, I wasn't in the tent. The place looked familiar... Hmm...

"Hikitsu!! You're back!!" I knew that voice. It was Nyan-Nyan! That meant that I was on Mt. Taikyoku!

"N-Nyan-Nyan. Why am I here?" I asked her. She hadn't changed a bit. At that moment, there was five of her surrounding me.

"Taiitsukun brought you here so that she could test the other seishi and the miko!" She said.

"Test?"

"Yes! She's sending them up against the Seiryu Seishi, Miboshi!"

"What!? But that's dangerous! They could be killed!"

"Exactly!" She really wasn't getting it.

"Nyan-Nyan, I have to see Taiitsukun. Where is she?"

"Hm... I think... Come on! I'll take you to her!" She said.

"Thank you," I answered gratefully. She led me threw the maze of hallways until we reached the room that had the mirror in with Taiitsukun usually watched over the world with. Inside, I saw her looking into the mirror.

"Taiitsukun! Why am I here?!" I asked her. She turned from the mirror.

"So that I can test your friends. You have already proved yourself many times, so I can't have you helping them. That wouldn't show that they are worthy," she replied.

"Send me back there at once!" I almost yelled.

"No."

"They could be killed!" Now I was yelling. I didn't care if she was more powerful than me. If those three were killed, then I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I would blame myself till the day I died. It would be like it was with Sora. These were the only people that I had let get close to me since her death. Even though I didn't really know Uruki yet, It would still be awful if she died. She had someone to go back to after this whole thing was done. She had someone who cared. If she died, then who would tell her grandfather? Before we had left, he had asked me to make sure that she survived. I had promised him I would. If I let her die now, I would be breaking that promise. The other two were my only real friends. Tomite and I had become very close after the night that we had found Sora's grave. Takiko was almost like a little sister to me. I was the person that she went to when she needed to talk about her feelings. Usually it was something about Tomite. I couldn't lose any of them. I just couldn't. I had to persuade Taiitsukun to let me help them.

"Please Taiitsukun. They need me."

"No. That's final. But... I suppose... It wouldn't do any harm for you to watch them fight," I sighed. It wasn't what I wanted, but I knew that Taiitsukun wouldn't go back on her decision if she said that it was final. If I argued now, she may not even let me watch them. I obediently sat by the mirror. It showed Tomite getting up and since I wasn't there. He walked out of our tent and looked around for a while. Then, he walked into the girls tent. There, the girls yelled at him a bunch and hit him several times. That is, until Miboshi came along. Soon the fight had begun. I watched helplessly as Miboshi took out a spindle of some type and began to spin it. He muttered a spell and a demon began to come out of the ground. I heard Takiko gasp. Tomite pulled her behind him, protectively, grasping his bow that he had brought out from our tent before he had gone into the girls. Uruki grabbed a sword that was laying on her pack.

--  
**Uruki's POV**

I watched the demon carefully, my sword ready. It lunged. But not at me. He lunged at Takiko and Tomite. Tomite yelled in surprise and fumbled for an arrow. I quickly pushed him and our miko out of the way. I managed to avoid getting slashed to ribbons, but I did get a long gash in my arm. I cursed and rolled aside. Tomite finally got an arrow to his bow, and aimed for the demons eye. The demon was big, but he was also slow. The arrow hit it in the demon and green blood began to gush slowly from his left eye. It roared in pain and fury and began to run towards Tomite and Takiko. Tomite ducked, pulling the miko down with him, and the demon missed them, swiping the tree behind them. The served tree began to fall down on top of them. Tomite pushed Takiko out of the way just in time and began to scramble out behind her, but it was to late. The tree fell, crushing the bottom half of his body. There was an awful crack and he screamed in pain.

"Tomite!" Cried Takiko as she rushed to his side. "Are you okay?" Nether saw the demon coming up behind them. My sword raised high, I ran towards them. I jumped and heard the sound of sword going threw flesh, bone, and muscle as I cut it's arm off. It roared again and aimed a swipe at me. I swerved in mid air and landed in a crouch between the demon and my comrades, narrowly avoiding the flying claw. The arm fell beside me, splattering blood everywhere. The demon stared at it, then at me, its remaining eye narrowing. I stood, wincing as I put pressure on my leg. I looked down at it and saw a long gash running from my thigh to my ankle. It would need to be treated. Soon. The cut on my arm wasn't getting any better, either. I would have to end this fight very soon if I didn't want to pass out from loss of blood. The demon swung at me again with it's remaining arm. I jumped up onto it's arm and ran up it until I reached it's shoulder. The demon looked around, confused. I raised my sword and buried it into it's head. The demon stumbled and began to fall, me still on it's shoulder. As it fell I jumped off. Unfortunately, the landing was to much for my bad leg. I felt it buckle under me and I fell to my knees, used up. For a moment, things seemed to stop focusing. Then all I saw was darkness.

--  
**Taiisukun's POV**

My former student and I watched as the young girl fought the demon. I had to admit, she was very good. I sighed, knowing that they had passed the test. But now they were at Miboshi's mercy. The only way that they could live was if I transported them all here at once. Hikitsu watched me with his single eye. I knew that he would never forgive me if I just left them to die. I sighed again and began to mutter the spell. There was a loud crack and the three of them appeared in the room. Hikitsu rushed over to them in relief and hugged the smaller girl.

"Takiko! Are you okay?" He asked the Miko.

"Yes. I'm fine. But Tomite... And Uruki..." She looked around her. "Hikitsu? Where are we? And why are you here? Why weren't you at camp with the rest of us? We were worried. What's going on, Hikitsu? And how did we get here?" Hikitsu looked a little flustered. Like he didn't know how to explain it all.

"Don't worry. Everything will be explained. But first, we need to get these two looked after," He replied as he picked Uruki off of the floor. Tomite was already in Takiko's arms. I quickly called Nyan-Nyan and told her to heal the two. She promptly multiplied, scaring the girl... What was her name? Oh yes... Takiko out of her wits, and began to work. I sighed yet again. It would be very hard to explain things to the Miko and her Seishi. I would just have to do my best.

--  
**Takiko's POV**

I silently sat in the chair beside Tomite's bed, my hands clasped in my lap, trying to sort out the last few days. Uruki had awaken yesterday, but Tomite was still out. He had suffered some broken bones and a concussion. I looked at his still face. He looked so young when he was asleep. I quietly brushed a bit of hair out of his face. His eyes slowly began to open and I smiled. He was finally waking up.

"M-mother?" He asked as his eyes slowly began to focus. I felt inner guilt rise up in my chest. He had mistaken _me_ for his mother.

"No, Tomite. It's me. Takiko How do you feel?" I asked him. He groaned as he tried to sit up. I quickly pushed him back down before he hurt himself again. He would probably be bedridden for a couple more days, just like Uruki.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath. "I have an awful headache."

"Not a surprise. You had a concussion. And you shouldn't use language like that. It's rude," said a voice from the doorway. I looked up and saw Hikitsu standing there. "Sorry if I'm interrupting anything... But we have a problem... And it's serious..."

--  
_End of chapter 10_

Sorry it took me so long to update. I was in Spain for two weeks so I couldn't write. sniff Anyway... I worked hard on this chapter, so I hope you liked it. It was really hard to think up a test for Taiitsukun to use. The one that I thought of wasn't all that great, but I hope you liked it anyway. Please review. More coming soon.


	11. Reunion

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

--  
**Narrator's POV**

"It's Uruki. There must have been some slow-reacting poison on the demon's claws. Taiitsukun said that they don't have a cure. The only way for her to live is if her will is strong enough to defeat the poison. If Uruki dies then there will be no chance of summoning Genbu," said Hikitsu. Although there was no emotion in his voice and his face was still, Tomite had become close enough to him to tell that he was worried about their newest comrade by the look in his eyes. He tried to sit up only to be pushed down by Takiko again.

"How's she doing? Does it look like she will live?"  
Takiko's eyes shone with worry and fear, and her grip on Tomite's arm tightened as he started to lean up, a warning.

"Badly. Taiitsukun and Nyan-Nyan have already done all that they can. It's up to her now, and it doesn't look as if she'll make it," he replied.

"Then I have to go see her," Takiko said quickly. "Tomite, you stay here. I don't want you to get more hurt by moving around. The last thing we need is two seishi on the verge of death with nothing we can do about it." Tomite groaned in protest but Takiko's glare silenced him. Mutely, he nodded. Takiko smiled at him and then got up and left the room with Hikitsu, serious once more.

They walked down the halls silently. Takiko kept sneaking nervous glances at Hikitsu. He didn't seem to notice. He seemed deep in thought. Takiko had to wonder what he was thinking about. Maybe he was just worried about Uruki. They stopped at Uruki's door and walked into the dark room. Once her eyes had adjusted to the gloom, she could see that there was a figure on the bed in the corner. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was Uruki. Although the girl was sweat soaked, she was still covered in many blankets and hot bricks had been laid beside her. It was also stifling in the room.

"Hikitsu. Can't we open a window or something? It's really hot in here,"  
She looked back to the man approaching her, a thin film of sweat already visible on both their foreheads.

"I'm afraid not Takiko. Taiitsukun is trying to sweat some of the poison out of Uruki's body. Although there is only a very slim chance that it will work, we have to try everything that we can at this point," Hikitsu explained. Takiko hesitated, then nodded to show that she understood...

--  
**Hikitsu's POV**

It had been three days since we had found out that Uruki was poisoned. Three miserable days. The first two days Takiko and I had taken turns watching over her in that horribly hot room. On the third day Tomite had joined us. Uruki had sweated out a little of the poison, but not much. Not enough to really matter. I looked at her still face. It was my turn to watch her. Genbu, it was hot. I wiped some of the sweat of my forehead. I felt like I was burning up. Uruki groaned and I looked down at her. She had pushed some of her blankets of her for the millionth time. I sighed and pulled them back onto her. She groaned softly and I saw her eyes slowly open.

"Grandpa?" She asked, still dazed.

"No. It's me. Hikitsu," I answered. I wished that her grandpa could have been there for her. Takiko, Tomite, and I had just met her and weren't very close to her like him.

"Hi-Hikitsu?" She asked. Then her eyes widened as she remembered the events of the past few days. She looked around. "Hikitsu, where are we? And why is it so hot in here? Can't you open a window or something?" She paused, "And why weren't you at the camp with the rest of us? I was worried that something had happened to you!" I stared at her. Why would Uruki be worried about me? Was it simply because I was also one of the Genbu Seishi? Or was there some other reason?

"Everything will be explained later," I told her.

"Uruki! You're awake!" I looked behind me as the door swung open. Takiko rushed over and knelt beside the bed. I smiled.

"I'll leave you two alone." I told them. Then, I turned to Takiko. "After you're done talking, go to Taiitsukun and tell her that Uruki is awake," Turning back to Uruki I added, "She can answer all of your questions."

"Taiitsukun? Dose that mean that we're on Mt. Taikyou?" Uruki asked, her eyes widening. I just smiled and nodded, leaving the two girls alone...

**Tomite's POV**

"Tomite! We're leaving!" I heard Takiko call. After she had waken up, Uruki had gotten better quickly. Sweating out the poison had worked better than we had thought. She was still weak, but we were finaly getting ready to go. Taiitsukun had not been able to help us any more than she already had, like we had hoped, but we were leaving with her blessing. I looked around my temporary room one last time to see if I had forgotten anything, and went outside to where the horses, Takiko and Uruki were standing. Hikitsu wasn't far off trying to comfort Nyan-Nyan, who was crying because she didn't want us to leave. Or rather, because she didn't want Hikitsu to leave. In the days after I had waken up I had learned that they where very close. They had spent most of their time together. When I had asked Hikitsu what they had been doing, he had simply said, "Catching up." After a couple more minutes, he walked over to us.

"Come on. Let's go." He told us. With that, he mounted up and pulled Uruki, rapped in a blanket, up behind him. She had been unusually quiet since her sickness. Although it was probably nothing, I was worried that something was wrong that she wasn't telling us about it.

With a shrug, I mounted and pulled Takiko up behind me, where she promptly clung to my back like a huge tick. She _still_ didn't know how to ride and wasn't too happy about having to for who knew how many miles. I sighed and calmly asked her to loosen her grip, at which Hikitsu laughed. I glared at him and wondered why he got the good riding partner...

--  
**Einosuke's POV**

Good. They were finally off again. It was hard to believe that it had already been a month in the book. (I had been keeping track of the days that had passed in it.) It had only been a day in the real world.

BRINGGGGG!! The phone rang. I ignored it, hoping that whoever was calling would just hang up and leave me alone.

BRINGGGGG!! It rang again. I sighed as I laid down the book and got up to answer it.

BR-"Hello?" I answered the phone in mid ring.

"Hello," said the voice on the other end. It sounded like Suzuno Osugi. "Is this Mr. Okuda?"

"Um... Yes. Is that you, Suzuno?" I answered.

"Yes, it is. I was wondering, could I speak to Takiko? She wasn't in school today and I wanted to see if she's all right." That was bad. I had to think of an excuse right away.

"Um... Er... She's fine. She... Um... Just got a cold." I stammered after a pause.

"Oh... Can I speak to her?" For a moment, I considered telling her the truth. She was Takiko's best friend, even though she was two years younger than her. But I decided against it.

"I'm sorry, but no. She's asleep right now. I don't want to disturb her," I answered, hoping that she would believe me despite my horrible lying skills.

"Oh... Then I'll just bring her homework over there for her. "Suzuno sounded disappointed. I felt kind of bad. She deserved to know._ 'But I can't tell her,'_ I scolded my self._ 'She's too young to get swept up in all this. And besides, her father would kill me'_ Her father and I had been friends for years. I knew him well enough to know that he would be very angry if I got Suzuno involved in this. And what if Suzuno was sucked into the book like Takiko was? Then she would be in danger. That was a risk that I wasn't willing to take. I refused to endanger anyone else like I had endangered Takiko by giving her that stupid book.

"That would be great. It would save us both a lot of trouble!" I told calmly her despite the thoughts racing through my head.

"Okay. I'll be over there in a couple of minutes! Bye" She said.

"Bye," I replied as I heard a click on the other end as she hung up.

True to her word, a couple minutes later, I heard the doorbell ring. It shouldn't have surprised me. After all, she only lived a few blocks away. I quickly got up from my chair and got the door. She walked in and set a pile of papers on the table.

"That's her homework. The teacher said that she'd know what to do." She told me.

"I'm sure she will," I assured her nodding. "Takiko's still asleep, but would you like something to drink?" I was silently begging her to say no. I just wanted her to get out of there so I could see what was happening to my daughter inside that book. Who knew how much time had passed in it while I was standing here talking to Suzuno?! The only reason that I had offered was because I had to act like myself and I didn't want to be rude. But, to my dismay, she smiled and nodded.

"That would be nice." I forced a smile and went into the kitchen to get something. We sat and talked for a while, then she got up and said that it was time for her to get going and that her mother would get worried if she stayed any longer. I suppressed a huge sigh of relief and stood to show her to the door. As soon as she was gone, I hurried back to the book on the table, picked itup, and began to read...

--  
_End of chapter 11  
_  
Okay. Kill me. I won't stop you. This was another boring chapter that took me forever to get out. Sorry everyone. It will get better. (I can't promise that it will in the next chapter, but...) At least I put in another POV from the real world. (You don't care, do you?) I'm thinking of putting in one by Suzuno sometime. Let me know in your review if you think it's a good idea. I'll also try to get a new Seishi to come in soon. Also, I may have messed up with the times. 1 month in the book probably isn't a day in the real world. Oh well... More coming soon! Please r/r!


	12. Night Talks and Homesickness

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

--  
**Narrator's POV**

Uruki watched Takiko sleep in the bedroll next to her. _'How can she sleep so soundly?'_ She wondered. She couldn't sleep. Her head hurt too much. She'd had an awful headache since they had left Mt. Taikyoku three days before. She supposed that it was just a side affect of the poison so she hadn't said anything to the others. Finally she gave up on any sleep that night and decided to go out of the tent to get some fresh air. She roughly pulled of her blankets and stepped out, letting the flap close behind her. Once outside, her headache stopped hurting so much, much to her relief. She looks around and saw two figures looking out at the stars and talking near by. The smaller one was leaning against a tree. _'That must be Tomite. I think it's his turn to keep watch.'_ she thought, _'But who's the other?'_

"Tomite?" She called out softly. He didn't seem to hear. She slowly walked forward and could soon see that one of the figures was indeed Tomite. She couldn't see who the other one was, though, because his face was hidden by shadow. She tapped Tomite on the shoulder and he spun around, a look of complete surprise on his face. She laughed and sat down beside him peering into the shadow to see who was there. All she saw was a bit of white hair, but that was enough to tell her who it was.

"Hello Hikitsu. Couldn't sleep?" She asked the figure. She could have sworn that she saw him smile at that, but couldn't be sure.

"You too, Uruki?" She smiled at him.

"I just needed some fresh air," she replied. Tomite looked from one to the other and smiled. '_They would make a great couple,'_ he thought. '_She may be exactly what Hikitsu needs. Hmm...'_

"Have you seen anything interesting, Tomite? If I remember correctly, it's your turn to be keeping watch, not chatting with Hikitsu, here." At this all three of them laughed. Tomite was just glad that she had no idea of what they had been "chatting" about...

--  
**Hikitsu's POV**

I watched Uruki joke with Tomite. She looked as if she was doing fine. That relieved me. I had been worried about her. It was what Tomite and I had been talking about. I hadn't been sure if she would be okay if we continued to go at the pace that we were going at. But I was also afraid that if we went any slower, the capital would be attacked and over run. If that happened then all hope would be lost. She looked very pretty, with the moonlight reflecting of her eyes and her hair shining. I quickly shook that thought out of my head. I didn't want to think about anyone like that. It wasn't that I had anything against her... It was just that it would feel like betraying Sora's memory if I fell in love with another girl after she had died to save me... After she had given up everything for me...

Thoughts of Sora flew threw my head. But suddenly, her face was replaced by another's. Uruki's... I shook her head out of my head again. I couldn't think of another Seishi like this. I just couldn't! It didn't feel right. And I still didn't want to betray Sora's memory. I still loved Sora. Even though she was dead. I still had feelings for her. If I did fall in love with Uruki, would she just be a replacement for Sora? Was I just trying to find someone who was like her and could take her place in my hart? No. That couldn't be it. No one could ever replace Sora. But if I was... Could I live knowing that the only reason that I loved Uruki... Was because she was replacing someone else? Could I live feeling like a traitor to both of them? And what if she died? What if I lost someone special to me again? My thoughts where interrupted by a big yawn. I looked up and saw that it was Uruki.

"I'm going to go back to bed, now. Yawn Nice talking to you, boys," She said, and yawned again.

"Yea. Me too. Good night, Tomite. Good night, Uruki," I agreed and stood up.

"G'night," Tomite said to the both of us as we headed back to our separate tents and walked inside. I laid down in my cold bedroll and soon drifted off into a restless sleep...

--  
**Takiko's POV**

I woke up after a good night sleep only to find that everyone else was already up! I hurriedly dressed and walked outside the tent that Uruki and I shared.

"Morning everyone," I said.

"Morning!" Uruki replied cheerfully. I smiled at her and sat down to eat in between her and Tomite to have breakfast. We had decided to go back to the capital to inform the emperor of our progress and gather more provisions. Once there, Tomite had said that we may also be able to see how much the Kutou army had moved and get an estimate of how much time we had left to gather the other Seishi and summon Genbu. I was still worried that we would run into that strange man again. He had said that he was one of the Seiryu seishi. What if they had a Miko and where gathering their seishi as well? No... That couldn't be. The Miko had to come from another world. Didn't she?

"Tomite?" I whispered, "Can I speak to you?" Maybe I should have asked Hikitsu. He knew more about this kind of stuff. But I didn't. Because I didn't want to hear that that was a good possibility and that we would have to watch out. I wanted to hear that it wouldn't happen and if it did that we would be fine. And I knew that Tomite would tell me that. Tomite nodded to me and quickly finished his meal. Then we cleaned up and sat down on some rocks away from the others.

"What is it?" He asked me.

"I'm worried," I said. "What if that strange man comes back? Last time he almost killed you and Uruki. What if next time we aren't so lucky? What if someone _dies_?" He was silent.

"Well..." He finally began, "I don't think that that's going to happen. And if it dose... Well... We do outnumber them. We can probably take him. Besides... Last time we didn't have Hikitsu. And Genbu is watching over us. Still... I'll mention it to Hikitsu. He knows more about this stuff than I do."

"Thank you," I whispered. He had said exactly what I had wanted him to say. I was beginning to realize why all the plaice girls had crushes on him. Maybe their taste in boys wasn't so bad after all. He was sweet, and kind, and gentle. Not to mention cute. I stood up and began to help Uruki fold up our tent with thoughts of Tomite running threw my head...

--  
**Uruki's POV**

Takiko stood up and came over to me after she had finished her little talk with Tomite to help me finish folding up our tent. Tomite also stood and walked over to Hikitsu. He pulled him aside and they began to talk in low voices. Great. I was the only one that was going to be left out of this little secret. I can't say that I was happy about that. I scowled and finished folding up the tent, half considering eavesdropping on there conversation. But they were finished before I had a chance. They began to fold up their tent with troubled looks on their faces.

After we where finished packing (Witch didn't take long) we all got on the horses and set off. This time I rode with Takiko and Hikitsu and Tomite road together.

"Will we have to go over that mountain again so we can get back to the capital?" Tomite asked Hikitsu.

"No. Taiitsukun showed me some other ways that we could take that are a bit less dangerous," he replied.

"Mountain? Do you mean the mountain by my village? You went up that mountain and survived?" I asked astonished. Takiko looked at me confused.

"Yes. Why?" She said. I starred at her.

"Because no one has ever gone over that mountain and survived. It's impossible," I told her. How could they have gone over that mountain? Where their powers really that strong? Tomite and Takiko stared at me as if they didn't already know that. Had no one told them? I just couldn't believe that. "Didn't anyone tell you?" I asked them. They simply silently shook their heads.

"We where able to do it because were Genbu Seishi," said Hikitsu, " And it isn't impossible, Uruki. In fact, a tribe lives up there. We met them." Now it was my turn to stare. People lived up there? But how could that be? The grownups in my town always told children stories about how horrible it was up there and bad things that could happen to you if you tried to climb it. Where they all just lying? Had all the people that I had trusted lied to me? Even my grandfather? It couldn't be. My grandfather would never lie to me. Never! But... I didn't think that Hikitsu would lie either. And the other two agreed with him... I didn't know what to do. I supposed that it was silly to be worrying about such a trivial thing. But it had upset me to know that either way, people that I had trusted had lied to me. I hated liars! I sighed and decided to stop thinking about it. After this was all over, I could just ask my grandfather. It wasn't that big of a deal anyway. I'd most likely forget about it by the next morning. And I still had to find out what Tomite and Hikitsu had been talking about that morning. Takiko most likely knew about it as well. I guessed that it was what she and Tomite had been talking about before she had come to help me with the tent. It didn't quite seem fair that everyone knew but me, and I was determined to find out...

--  
_End of chapter 12  
_  
I'm sorry about all the changing POVs. I've been getting a lot of complaints about that. Sorry! There is a reason. I want to have the story explained in everyone's POV so that people can get a better idea of each person and how they think or react in different situations. That way they can get to know each character better. I'm really sorry if it's confusing. I've been trying not to change POVs so often. In this chapter there's only 4, but at the beginning of the story there where 6 or 7 per chapter. Once again, sorry. Try to live with me. Please.

Also, please review and tell me what you think of this chapter. I LOVE reviews! Thank you to everyone who has done so. More coming soon!


	13. Fire at The Inn

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

--  
**Narrators POV**

"Say... Tomite-san... What where you and Hikitsu-san talking about this morning? You looked troubled," Uruki asked Tomite late that night. They where sitting on a log on the outskirts of their camp. Uruki had asked Tomite if she could speak to him after dinner. She didn't know that Takiko had asked if she could speak to Tomite in the same way just that morning. She also didn't know that the talk that Takiko and he'd been having had been what had started the entire thing. That that was, in a very indirect way, the reason that she needed to talk to Tomite now. That she probably wouldn't be there if that conversation hadn't taken place. Of course, she suspected most of that.

"Um... Well..." Tomite hesitated as he considered telling her the truth. He knew that he shouldn't lie and tell her that it had been nothing or that she shouldn't worry about it. But earlier Hikitsu had asked him not to tell her about their fears because he didn't want her to worry about something that probably wouldn't happen in her condition. He had said that he was worried that she would be stressed and that her wound would be agitated because of that stress. Everyone knew that her wound wasn't fully healed and still caused her pain sometimes, despite her constantly saying that she was fine. Still... He didn't like lying. And if she found out that he had lied then he knew that she would never forgive him. He didn't like the thought of facing her wrath.

"Well..." Uruki prodded. She didn't see why he wouldn't tell her. "Everyone else knows, don't they?"

"What makes you say that?" He asked.

"You and Takiko where talking privately. Then, directly afterward, you and Hikitsu talked and have looked troubled ever since." She answered bluntly. "I'm the only person who doesn't know, aren't I?"

"Well... You see..."

"Is it about me or something?"

"N-no. Of course not. It's just..." He fell silent once again.

"What? What is it just?"

"Y-you should go ask Hikitsu. He knows more about it than I do." She sighed and looked down, not wanting to show him the disappointment that she knew was in her eyes. She knew that Hikitsu would never tell her anything if he didn't want to and voiced this opinion. Tomite laughed which made her glare and stomp off still determined to find out what everyone else already knew. Little did any of them know, but their worst fears where about to happen...

--  
**Tomite's POV**

The next morning I woke up after a restless sleep. I was really tired. I wondered if Uruki had asked Hikitsu her question. When I walked out she and Hikitsu where talking quietly. They looked up quickly as I walked out of the tent and stopped talking. I guess that was the answer to my question. Uruki stood and offered me some sausages, smiling. This made me ever more sure that she had found out what she wanted. After all, she was happy. I sat down, forgetting about the sausage that she was holding out to me. She shrugged and put it back on the plate. A few seconds later I took it off the plate and began to eat. Uruki shared a knowing look with Hikitsu.

"You look tired, Tomite-san. Did you get any sleep last night?" She asked me trying not to laugh and sound concerned.

"Hm... Oh... Maybe a little..." It took me a moment to register what she had said. She looked at me with true concern, and then turned back to Hikitsu and they continued their talk. I was too tired to listen to what they said and they knew it. That was probably why they continued to talk right in front of me. It wasn't long before Takiko came out of the tent that she and Uruki shared.

"Morning everyone," she said as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Then she looked around and saw everyone eating and, in Uruki and Hikitsu's case, talking around the fire. A blush spread across her beautiful face as she sat, "Oh! Am I the last one up again?"

"You almost weren't. If you had been up a few seconds earlier, you would have beat me," I told her trying to keep the tiredness out of my voice and she laughed as she took some sausages. I loved her laugh. It was so sweet and beautiful. I watched her out of the corner of my eye as she ate her sausages and then took some more. She seemed hungry. I didn't notices Uruki watching me with a very amused look on her face...

--  
**Hikitsu's POV**

"They really are perfect for each other," I heard Uruki whisper to me as we watched Tomite blush and stare at Takiko. I turned to look at her. "Don't think I haven't noticed. He cares for her, doesn't he?" I nodded; surprised that she had figured it out. I suppose that it was pretty obvious, but still... I watched her look at the blushing Tomite with an amused look on her face, and felt my own face heat up. Crap. I didn't want to think of Uruki like this. I shook my head at my own silliness and looked at Tomite and Takiko. Tomite looked quite comical.

"We'll have to lock them up in a room alone until they confess their feelings for each other someday," Uruki told me. I couldn't help but laugh and nodded to her in agreement.

"Do you think Takiko has feelings for Tomite?" I asked her. This entire conversation was taking place in whispers so that the other two wouldn't over hear.

"Definitely," She replied. "Isn't it obvious?" She added as an after thought and stood up to begin to fold up the tent. Soon we where all done with our breakfast and ready to set off. I watched as Uruki pulled Takiko up behind her and Tomite mounted behind me. Soon we were off.

We rode for hours and ate lunch on our horses that day. We wanted to make as much distance as possible so that we could get to the capital before something awful happened. Everyone was afraid that by the time we got there it would already be too late and the capital would already have been attacked, maybe even destroyed. When it had just started to get dark, we saw the lights of a village in the distance. I looked around at the others and saw that they were all tired and needed rest in a proper bed.

"Lets stop at that village and spend the night there. In the morning we can get some more supplies. Besides, I've been wanting a proper bath that isn't in a stream or lake." Everyone nodded in agreement. It took a few more hours to get to the village. Once there, we began to look for an inn.

"Here's one!" I heard Takiko call. The one that she had spotted was a small wooden one. It looked cheap but nice. A little bit like the one that Uruki's grandfather had owned. We all walked in and I was instantly surrounded by warmth. I hadn't realized how cold it was outside. It was like stepping into an oven. That's a good thing. I walked up to the counter and asked how much it would cost for two rooms. Then I conferred with Uruki and Tomite (Takiko didn't know a thing about Hokkan's currency) and we decided that this would be a good place to spend the night. I walked back up to the counter and said, "Two rooms please."

"I'll need to know your names," the gruff man behind the counter answered. "I am Chen Entato and my companions are Okuda Takiko, Chamka Tan, and Bai-Ling Soo," I told him. I didn't use our seishi names so that we could keep a low profile. If there were Kutou spies in this town it wouldn't do to have it getting out that the Genbu no Miko and three of her Seishi where here. After all, he would only have to kill one of us to keep us from summoning Genbu. If that happened then Hokkan would be doomed.

A few seconds later a young boy led us to our rooms while three others carried up our bags. On the way up the stairs, I noticed Takiko lagging behind. We had already had to go up three flights of stairs, but there were still four more. I mentioned this to Tomite and he immediately bounded down the stairs and picked her up so that he could carry her up the rest of the stairs. She yelped in surprise and pounded on his back so that he would let go, Still... she was laughing. Finally she gave up on him putting her down when Tomite complained that all her pounding was beginning to hurt and let him carry her the rest of the way up. By the time we reached our rooms, she was asleep in his arms. Once he realized this, he turned bright red and told Uruki and I not to get any ideas. Of course, we both already knew the truth. He seemed to forget that he had told me that he was in love with her. He handed Takiko to Uruki and she walked into the room that they where going to share. Then Tomite and I walked into our room. Tomite fell onto his bed as soon as he had changed and I soon did the same.

I awoke a few hours later to the feeling that the room was hotter than was normal. I looked around and saw fire everywhere. I shook Tomite awake and felt the door to the room. It was hot. That meant that if was on fire and that I shouldn't open it. This was bad. We were trapped. And what had happened to Takiko and Uruki. Where they awake? Where they even alive?

--  
_End of chapter 13_

Cliffhanger... I'm evil. I love to make you suffer. Maybe it's because we're on chapter 13 (unlucky number). Hee! Hee! Hee! At least we're going to finally see some action. It's about time I made something happen, isn't it.

Hmm... What else... I really need to make the next Seishi come, don't I. It's been, what, five chapters since Uruki came in? Please review. I haven't gotten any reviews in a while. Review! Hydra-Star tries to hypnotize you into reviewing Anyway... More coming soon!


	14. Namame

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

--  
**Narrator's POV**

"We need to find a way out. Fast," said Hikitsu, more to himself than to Tomite. He looked around warily, trying to find some way out. His eyes rested on the window.

"Well thank you very much for stating the obvious. And what about Takiko? And Uruki," Tomite added as an after thought. "We can't just leave them here. They'll die!" He watched as Hikitsu began to dig around in one of his packs. "And what are you doing?"

"Looking for this," he told Tomite, bluntly, as he pulled out a rope. Quickly he fastened the rope to the window, grabbed Tomite, and jumped holding on to the rope for dear life. He was just in time. As a few seconds after they were out, the room was engulfed in flames.

Hikitsu swung down to the ground and let go of Tomite. Tomite stumbled and coughed. _'He must have inhaled some of the smoke,'_ thought Hikitsu, watching him.

"Takiko and Uruki are still inside!" Tomite exclaimed as he watched the inn burn helplessly. He then grabbed a nearby blanket that had been dropped on the street and soaked it in a barrel of water by the inn. Before Hikitsu could stop him, he recklessly ran into the flames, determined to save the two girls...

--  
**Tomite's POV**

I dove into the flames, ignoring Hikitsu's calls that it was too dangerous and to come back. I had to save Takiko. If I lost her, I didn't think that I could live with myself. Inside, it was stifling. It would only be a matter of time before the soaked blanket dried and caught fire.

I rushed to the stairs, hoping that they wouldn't be blocked by fire or fallen debris. Luckily, they weren't. I hurried up the steps until I got to the floor that we had been staying on. The hall was full of flames. I quickly looked around, trying to find a way around the flame. Finally, I decided to go threw the blaze. It was probably a dumb idea, but I was running out of time. I moved quickly, counting the doors as I went. At one point, my shirt caught fire. I tore it off, and continued. After what seemed like eternity, I reached Takiko and Uruki's door. I kicked it open and to my horror, I saw both girls lying on the floor. I ran over to them, praying that they weren't dead. I checked their pulses to see if they where alive, and was relieved to feel one. They must have just passed out from breathing too much smoke. I quickly shook Uruki awake.

"T-Tomite!" She exclaimed.

"We have to get out of here!" I told her. She nodded. "What happened? Why didn't you get out before?" I then asked, as I picked up Takiko and stood.

"When I woke up, Takiko was still asleep. I couldn't wake her up and spent to long trying. I passed out from breathing to much smoke," she replied and also stood. Together, we went to the door. I opened it and we raced out. We went back down the hall, and to the stairs. The entire way, I was praying to Genbu that we would all get out of this okay.

We where almost all the way down the stairs when it happened. Ahead, there was fire. Our only hope would be to jump over the railing onto the floor. But if we did that, we would risk getting a broken leg or something. Or we could land in more fire and be burned to a crisp. I made my decision quickly.

"Jump!" I yelled to Uruki and did so myself. I landed and heard a sickening crack. My leg had been broken by the fall. Uruki looked at me wordily. I could see that she was scared. I handed Takiko to her.

"Go! Get Takiko out of here!" I told her.

"But you-"

"Go! I'll be fine," I yelled cutting her off. She nodded reluctantly, and ran to the door, carrying Takiko. I knew that this was the end. I couldn't walk. There was no way I'd get out. I'd never see any of my friends again. I'd never see Takiko. Genbu would not be summoned. Hokkan would be destroyed. All because of me. I watched the fire creep closer to me. For a second I though I saw someone working there way towards me. Then everything was black...

--  
**Takiko's POV**

I slowly opened my eyes. Where was I? This wasn't the inn. I looked around and saw the inn on fire. Hikitsu and Uruki where next to me. Uruki was in tears.

"Uruki... What's wrong?" I asked. She looked at me. I was beginning to get what was going on. The inn must have caught fire while we where all asleep. Some how we all got out. Only... Where was Tomite?

"T-Tomite... Tomite is still inside. He had a broken leg. There's no way he'll get out," she told. I was in shock. Tomite was still inside? He was going to die?

"B-but... H-how?" I asked weakly.

"He went inside to save us. Getting us out, he broke his leg, and couldn't go the rest of the way. He told me to get you out. There was nothing that I could do. I-I tried to stop him... But... But..." She burst into tears again. I felt a sudden pain in my heart. He had gone inside to rescue me? But... But... That wasn't fair. That meant that he had saved my life again. I had never even gotten a chance to pay him back. He meant so much to me. He couldn't just go and get himself killed! He just couldn't. I grabbed a bucket of water and was about to go in after him, when someone grabbed me.

"Don't. If you go, then his sacrifice will be wasted. If you die, then there will be no point to his death. Don't just go and waist everything he did for you. Don't you even understand yet? He wouldn't want you to die for him. That's the last thing that he'd want!" Uruki's words hit a spot in my heart. I knew that she was right. Still... How could I just stand there? I slowly lowered the bucked and nodded, feeling like I was betraying him. I have never felt so rotten. I stared into the flames. Suddenly, a figure appeared in the flames.

"Tomite!" I cried. But it wasn't Tomite. It was a tall man with long blue hair. However, in his arms was Tomite. He was unconscious and his leg was bloody. He was also covered in burns and was very pale. I ran over to the man, crying in joy.

"Tomite! Tomite! He's alive!" I yelled as I ran. But when I reached the man and looked at Tomite, I wasn't so sure that he was alive. I looked up at the man, suddenly afraid, and asked him, "He is alive, right? Please tell me that he's alive!" I looked into the man's eyes, pleading for him to answer me. Hikitsu and Uruki hurried up to me.

"Is he...alive?" I heard Uruki ask, looking at Tomite as if she was afraid of the answer. The man handed Tomite to Hikitsu and for the first time we heard him speak.

"I think so. He was when I reached him. However, he has inhaled a lot of smoke and has some severe burns. Not to mention a broken leg. You need to get him to a doctor." His voice was very deep and seemed almost musical.

"Do you know any doctors that can heal him?" Hikitsu asked him, unaturally calm as always.

"Well... Yes. My father is one. Come. My house is this way," he told us after thinking for a moment as if debating if he should tell us or not.

"Thank you. But... we don't have any money. Do you think that you're father will demand payment immediately?" The man smiled.

"I'm sure that he will have no problem with giving free treatment to one of the seven Genbu Seishi and helping the Genbu no Miko and the other seishi that she has found." I saw Uruki's jaw drop and was aware that I was also gaping. As always, Hikitsu remanded calm, but for a second I thought that I saw a look of surprise come across his face that was quickly covered up. Of course, that could have been my imagination. But before we could ask any questions, the man turned and began to lead us to his house. We had to run to catch up.

It seemed to take hours to get to his house, but it was most likely only minutes. Every moment that passed, Tomite was a little closer to death. I knew that with every step I took. I had to wonder if he would make it to the house alive. For the first time, I was sure of how I felt about Tomite. I finally knew that I loved him. Why couldn't I have realized my feelings for him sooner? Now I didn't even know if I would ever be able to tell him my feelings before he died. I wouldn't be able to tell him that I felt the same way as him. That is, if he still felt the same way that he had felt months ago when he had told Hikitsu that he was falling in love with me.

Finally, we reached the house. The man led us inside. His father met us at the door and the man explained that we where the Genbu Seishi and the Genbu no Miko so he agreed to help us. He went into an empty room and told us not to come in while he worked. The man showed us places where we could sit, and we waited. And waited. And waited. The silence was killing me.

"So... Um... Who are you?" I finally asked. I had finally realized that he had never told us his name.

"My name is Temur Bataar. But you may call me Namame, of the Genbu seven, My power is sensing others emotions," he said as a green light filled the room. He held up his left wrist, and I saw the green symbol Bi, witch means Wall. I was glade that I wasn't the only one staring. All three of us where...

--  
_End of Chapter 14  
_  
Yay! I finally introduced Namame! Now there's only three more seishi left! Hm... It seems like I keep making things happen to Tomite, doesn't it. It's not because I hate him. It really isn't. I think hard about whom I'm going to have the next thing happen to, and it usually turns out to be him. Not because he's weak. But because he loves Takiko, so he'd be the first to rush into danger and rescue her.

Thank you to all my reviewers. You're great! To anyone who hasn't (or if you want to do it again) please review! More chapters coming soon.


	15. Tomite Meets His Savor

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

--  
**Narrator's POV**

Takiko felt very relived when she found out that Tomite would probably be fine. For the first time she really felt the happiness that she had found another seishi. Although Tomite was still passed out, she would spend hours in his room looking after him. It was during one of those times that he first began to stir. When Tomite woke up, he felt like a bulldozer had run into him and found Takiko in his arms sobbing.

"T-Takiko... What's wrong?" He asked the crying girl worridly.

"Don't you _ever_ do that to me again! You could have been killed! If Namame-san hadn't-"

"Wh-what? Slow down, Takiko-san. Namame? Isn't that the name of one of the seven Genbu Seishi? Did you find the next one or something? A-and you're suffocating me. Please, stop hugging me so hard." Tomite asked as he cut her off. "The last thing I can remember, is being in that fire with a broken leg and telling Uruki to get you outside. What happened after that? How did I survive?" he continued. Takiko had been speaking so fast that he had barely been able to understand what she was saying before he had interrupted her. She sat back on his bed and stopped strangling-er-_hugging_ him. She then took some deep breaths and told him everything that had happened since the fire. About half way through her story, Namame came in and added his side of the events. Finally they stopped and gave Tomite some time to absorb what they had said. After a bit more talking, Takiko left the room to give Tomite some time to get to know Namame. Tomite and Namame had a short conversation before Namame left, saying that Tomite should get some more rest because they would be leaving in a few days. Tomite promptly fell back asleep once he was gone, feeling very worn out, while processing all that they had told him in his head. He would have to thank Namame for saving his life later.

Meanwhile, Uruki was having her wound looked at by the doctor. He told her that she was doing well and that the wound was healing, but that she would probably have some pain from it for the rest of her life. She sighed and walked out of the room. Her arm was hurting at that moment, most likely because of the way the doctor had poked and prodded at it. Se quietly walked up the stairs absently rubbing the place where she'd been hurt. Unfortunately, that just made it hurt more. She stopped at a door and opened it to reveal her temporary room. Inside, she found Hikitsu.

"What are you doing in here?" She asked him.

"I was waiting for you," Hikitsu answered and she blushed. "I wanted to ask you what the doctor said."

"He said that I was fine but..." She didn't want to tell him the last part. She didn't want him to worry, and she knew that he would.

"But..." He prompted, wondering why she wasn't finishing her sentience.

"Um..." She didn't see any way out of it now. She'd have to tell him.  "But I'll probably feel pain from it for the rest of my life," she finished bluntly, not meeting his one remaining eye. When she finally looked up, she saw a worried look in his eye, although no emotion showed in the rest of his face. _I knew that he'd be worried!'_ She thought.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

_"Yes."_

"Uruki, I-"

"Geez, Hikitsu! I'm _fine_! You don't need to be so worried. I'm not a little baby, anymore. I can take care of myself! Just... Just leave me alone!" Uruki finally yelled. As soon as the words where out of her mouth, she wished that she could pull them back. She wished that she could wipe the hurt off Hikitsu's face. She wasn't mad at him. She was simply angry at her own helplessness.

"A-All right, Uruki-san. I'll... I'll go then..." He told her, trying to erase the feeling from his voice.

"Hikitsu I-" But he was already gone. "I'm sorry," she finished softly to herself, but she knew he couldn't hear her. She could hear him going down the stairs. Once she couldn't hear him any more, she threw herself onto her bed and cried herself to sleep.

--

**Namame's POV**

I watched as Hikitsu slowly came down the stairs. I sensed a deep hurt from him that he refused to show. I sighed and causally walked over to him.

"Hikitsu, can we talk?"

"Um... Sure... What is it?"

"What's wrong?" I asked him once we where outside.

"N-nothing. I-I don't know what you're talking about," he lied.

"Hikitsu... You're forgetting that my seishi power is to sense emotions. I'm sensing a great pain from you right now. One that you're not willing to show. I can't force you to tell me, Hikitsu, but... It can really help to have someone to talk with." I watched as Hikitsu turned this over in his mind. Finally I sensed defeat, and maybe even a little relief. I smiled knowing that he had decided to tell me. He told me about Sora, about how he was in love with Uruki but didn't want to be, about how she had yelled at him when he was only worried. He told me everything that he'd been bottling up for so long. I listened patiently, letting him tell me anything he needed to. I knew how it feels to have feelings similar to that bottled up. I was surprised that he hadn't blown up in anyone's face because of the pressure. _'__He must have told somebody else some of it.' _I decided. Still... He was stronger that he looked. He had been able to hide all of these things inside him and not let them show. He had not been willing to worry others with his problems. Finally, Hikitsu finished and looked at me. I smiled slowly at him and he returned my smile with a small shaky one of his own.

"Please... Please dont tell anyone about this," he said.

"Of course," I answered. "It will be our secret."

"Uruki! Tomite! Hikitsu! Namame!" We heard Takiko calling from inside. "It's dinner time!" We both stood and walked into the kitchen to see Uruki, Takiko, and my parents waiting for us. A few seconds later, Tomite slowly walked in, leaning on the wall for support. My father had told him that he could walk and get out of bed if he wanted to, but that he still needed a little help sometimes because of his leg. Takiko rushed over to him and helped him into a chair, then she and my mother brought out the food. As we ate, I noticed that Uruki was very quiet. I also sensed guilt coming from her. I decided that she must feel bad about yelling at Hikitsu and decided to talk to her about it tomorrow. I started feeling a bit like a nosy idiot, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. After dinner, we all went to bed. We planed to leave for the capital the day after tomorrow. It wasn't far now, and we would probably get there a few days after we left.

A few days later, we were leaving. I looked around my room one last time. I knew that I may never see this place again. I had packed my bags the night before, and Tomite and my father where putting them on the horses. I sighed and walked down stairs. The others watched as I said good bye to my family. My father had decided to give us some spare horses. Now everyone was riding alone except for Takiko, who still couldn't ride. She was riding with Tomite. Earlier she had said that she felt most relaxed riding with him. She had also said that it was probably because he had found her and so the first time that she had been on a horse was with him. Her other reason was that she had ridden the most with him. Yet, even though she insisted that these where the only reasons, I had a strange feeling that they weren't. She and Tomite seemed very... close. I hugged my mother one last time and mounted my horse. I noticed with pleasure that it was one of my favorites. I had raised it from a colt that my father had bought, because if he hadn't then it would have been killed, and had given it to me to raise. I guess that you could say that I had rescued it, just as my parents had rescued me. I sighed and first kicked it into a walk and then into a trot. We where finally off. In a few days I would have my first glimpses of the capital. I had to wonder if the stores about how beautiful it was and how kind the emperor was where true. I hoped that they where. I was very nervous about meeting someone as important as the emperor.

I turned my thoughts to the long road ahead. I didn't know what trouble we might run into on the way to the capital. I checked to see if my knife was safely strapped to my belt. My grandfather had given it to me a long time ago and I was quite skilled with it. The handle was a very dark green with a tortoise carved into it. The tortoise was a symbol for Genbu, and the knife had been passed threw our family for generations. I had trained with it since I was a little kid because my seishi power wasn't very good in a fight and I wanted to be of use at all times. Not just when things where peaceful or after a fight. I hated it when I couldn't be useful. It was very annoying. I looked up and saw that the others where already ahead. I yelled for them to wait up and kicked my horse into a canter whiled Tomite laughed at me. I also laughed and caught up with him, giving him a playful punch on the shoulder. I had a strange feeling that we where going to get along. And not just Tomite and I. All of us. Even though each of us had our problems. I was sure that we could overlook that...

--  
_End of Chapter 15_

Sorry this one took me so long to get out. It's mostly a pointless chapter. I just needed to build up Namame's character some. More coming soon. Please r/r.

I have up to chapter ninteen done, but due to the fact that my internet is down, it may be a bit before they're out.


	16. Attack on the Capital

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV**  
  
Takiko looked around the capital, glad to be back. She liked busy places, and busy was one thing that the capital always was. She glanced over at Uruki and Namame to see how they where taking their first look at the capital. Hikitsu had told her earlier that he had been there once or twice, but he had never met the emperor. She and Tomite had of course been there that first time just after she had become the Genbu no Miko. It seemed so long ago, yet it was only a few months. The other two had never been there. As she watched them, she remembered how she had felt the first time that she had seen it. She had been so scared.  
  
Uruki didn't look any different that ever and acted as if the capital's size and beauty had no effect on her, although Takiko suspected that she was just as awed as she had been the first time that she had been there. But Namame had his jaw hanging open in awe and wonder looking just the way that she knew that she must have looked. _It's even more beautiful and wonderful than the rumors say.' _Namame was thinking._It-it's amazing!'_ Because he came from a very small tribe, (even smaller that Uruki's) being in a place this big and busy was fascinating. He kept whipping his head around, trying to see everything at once and getting a bunch of his blue hair in his face. He didn't even bother to wipe away or put up his hair witch was so messy because of the furious wind. It looked quite comical. _The capital is so... Big. Even bigger than I imagined,'_ he thought. He wondered if he would have time to look around some time after they got to the palace and met the emperor. The thought of the palace and meeting the emperor brought him back to his senses. He began to wonder what the emperor was like. He had forgotten to ask Takiko or Tomite while they where riding there. Now he wished that he had. After all, they where the only ones that had who had met the emperor.  
  
All to soon, they where at the palace. The guards bowed, recognizing Takiko as the Genbu no Miko and Tomite as one of her seven Genbu Seishi from their last visit. However, they gave strange looks to the rest of her companies, wondering who they where, where they came from, and why they where traveling with the famous Genbu no Miko. They never thought that they may some of the other Genbu Seishi. They where met just inside the gate by a servant.  
  
His Highness wishes to see you immediately, Takiko-sama. Tomite-sama. Um... As well as your companies., she said as she bowed all five of them. Takiko looked confused.  
  
He already knows that we're here? She asked.  
  
O-of course, Takiko-sama. His Highness knows many things. He keeps a sharp watch on his city, as well as the rest of his empire. He had been notified of your arrival and has sent me to bring you to him, the servant said almost swelling with pride for the man she served.  
  
W-well then... Please take us to him. We have much to tell him of our travels, Takiko said a little nervously. She shifted in her seat behind Tomite and Namame could see by the look on his face that she was squeezing Tomite to tight and was crushing his ribs. Tomite muttered something out of the corner on his mouth to Takiko as they began to follow the servant and she slowly loosened her grip, much to his relief. Soon, they where inside the palace and looking at the doors to the throne room.  
  
This is where I must leave you, said the servant, The doors will open once the emperor is ready for you. With that, she left them all standing (There horses had been taken to the palace stables shortly after they had started to follow the servant by some hostlers.) at the huge wooden door...  
  
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**Takiko's POV**  
  
I was a little nervous. Why would the emperor want to see them so soon? Had somethin happened while they where gone? I hoped not. I still had three more seishi to find. Iname, Hatsui, and Urumia. After what seemed like hours, the door swung open with a creak. The five of us steeped inside and bowed to the figure standing there. I instantly realized it was Heika-sama, but he looked much more tired. Almost older. I absently wondered why.  
  
H-Heika-sama, what do you wish to talk to us about? I asked him trying to smile a little. He returned my smile and told me and the others to sit in some chairs that had just been pleased near his seat by some servants. We did so and he said, I am glad to see that you have returned safely, Takiko-sama, and that you have found some more of the Genbu no Seishi in such a short amount of time. The others and I nodded. However, I am afraid that i must ask you to please find the other three quickly. Kutou is nearly upon us. My troupes cannot hold them off for much longer. They could break threw our defenses any day now. Then they will he in Hokkan and after that, they will soon attack the capital. I do not have enough soldiers to hold the capital for long. We have the advantage that this is our soil and that we don't have to ship supplies all the way from Kutou. However, they have the element of surprise. Forgive me for saying so, but right now, things look pretty hopeless.  
  
I understand, I said after a small pause. Would it be okay if we leave a week form now? That will give us time to get whatever supplies we may need, and I'm sure that in the mean time we can find other ways to help you. I wasn't sure if this was the best answer. After all, he had said that we needed to hurry. But the others needed a break, and rest for a few days. And it was true that we needed some more supplies. Most of my clothes (as well as the other's) had holes in them, and in Hokkan climate, that was a very bad thing. But Heika-sama just nodded slowly as if he understood. However, there was a troubled look on his face. Suddenly I remembered somethin important.  
  
Heika-sama, I forgot to introduce you to the new seishi. I pointed to each one in turn as I said there names and he nodded and shook there hands. This is Hikitsu, I found him shortly after we left you last time going over the mountain. And this is Uruki, she joined our party next when we found her in a small village at the bottom of the mountain. And last but not least, this is Namame, out newest companion. We found him when he rescued Tomite from a fire on our way back to the capital. At the last part, Tomite flushed deeply as Heika-sama looked at him with amusement in his eyes.  
  
Well... I'm sure _that_ story will be interesting, he said to me. Then addressing all of us, It is very nice to meet all of you. I hope to hear of your travels soon. However, not is not the time for stories. You must all be tired and hungry from your long journey. Let us have dinner, and then the servants will show those of you who haven't been here to your rooms that you will be staying in while you are at the palace. Tomite, Takiko-sama, you will have the same rooms as the last time you where here. Do you still remember how to get there? Both nodded. Good. Now, for dinner. He clapped three times and servants came out of a door and began putting delicious platters of food on the table. We all ate hungrily and talked. After we where done, servants came to take the others to there rooms and Tomite and I went to ours. We where all in the same hallway so we could talk and interact later. At that moment, I think that the only thing that any of us wanted to do was sleep. I was _so_ tired. I fell onto the soft bed not bothering to take off my clothes and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep...  
  
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**Uruki's POV**  
  
The morning after we arrived, I was awaken by a loud BOOM! I quickly got out of bed and ran into the hall, still in my night clothes, to see what was going on. As soon as I was out of my room, I saw that the others had the same idea.  
  
What's going on?! I asked Hikitsu.  
  
I...I don't know, he answered and we hurried down the hall with the others. Solders where running in every direction. Takiko stopped one.  
  
Um... Excuse me but... She began. he shook her off saying a very rude word under his breath. I grabbed the solder's arm and yelled at him, The Genbu no Miko asked you a question. _WHAT IN THE NAME OF GENBU OF GOING ON IS GOING ON??!!_ He looked at me frightened.  
  
K-Kutou is a-attacking. W-where under siege. H-His Highness ordered everyone who can fight to go the the capitals gate and prepare for battle. With that he ran off. The rest of us looked at each other.  
  
Well... I guess that includes us. Takiko... Go to your rooms. You'll be safe there, Tomite said and the rest of us nodded. Well... The rest of us not counting Takiko.  
  
I can't just go to my rooms while the rest of you are out there risking your lives! I just _can't!_ What if something happens to you, Tomite?! What if.... What if one of you _die_ and I never get to say goodbye? We all looked at her as a single tear rolled down her cheek. I quickly went over to her and tried to comfort her.  
  
Don't be silly. Where not going to _die_. Where Genbu Seishi. And you have to be safe. Tomite's just looking out for you, I told her. She nodded.  
  
B-but... That's what my mother told me before _she_ died. You never know what will happen out there, she sobbed.  
  
Takiko... Why don't you go and help in the infirmary. They could always use an extra hand, and that way you'll know if any of us get hurt. You can't go out and fight like the rest of us. It's two dangerous. If you die then we will all be doomed. If something happens to one of us, then we may be able to ask Taiisukun for help and she may know a way to summon Genbu if that we don't, Hikitsu said. I nodded in agreement and Takiko smiled.  
  
Fine. But you have to promise not to die before I get a chance to say goodbye. We all nodded in agreement and then went our separate ways...  
  
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_~End of Chapter 16~_  
  
Um... this took me a while to get out because I was in Chicago on a trip. Hm... I've got to find new things to say in these A/N's. There all pretty much the same. Hm... Oh well. Please review. More coming soon.


	17. Two Seishi: Iname and Hatsui!

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV**  
  
Uruki surveyed the seen before her. She felt a chill go down her spine as she looked at all of the destruction and death. They had just arrived at the gate.  
  
We should probably split up into groups of two. That way we can get more people at one time, and still have backup, said Namame. Hikitsu, you go with Uruki. Tomite, you can come with me. The others nodded but Tomite looked as though he would rather be with Hikitsu. Before Uruki could suggest that they switch partners, he had left with Namame. She looked up at Hikitsu and felt a twinge of guilt. She still hadn't apologized to him for yelling at him the day that Tomite had waken up and telling him that he was only a bother and that she didn't need him. None of these things where true. She loved him. She wasn't afraid to admit it to herself any more. She loved him with all of her heart. The last thing that she wanted to do was hurt him. Yet, she knew that she had. She sighed and plunged into the fight with Hikitsu at her side.  
  
Meanwhile, Takiko was in the infirmary talking to the main healer, an old man who leaned on a crooked cane for support. She was told that she could carry things for the other healers, such as hot water and medicines, and that she could also bandage some wounds and heal people to the best of her ability. She silently thanked Genbu that she had been volunteering at the hospital in her town since she was little and knew some things about medicines and healing. Then, she quickly got to work, wanting to help as many people as she could. She could see that the place was already very busy and was only going to get busier. Soon she had seen horrid injurious and brave men die. Half of her wanted her to stop. It told her to go back to her room where she would be safe. But the other half told her that she couldn't stop and let these men die without trying to help at all. She had saved several men and couldn't stop now no matter how tired she got or no matter how many men died with her able to do nothing but make them comfortable. The second half won. She looked around for her next patient. She spotted a man lying in a bed by the corner who looked like she had enough skill to heal. She quickly went to him and began to work on bandaging his wounds. He groaned as she applied pressure to a particularly gruesome one so that the bleeding would stop. She finished and once again began to looked around for her next patient...  
  
Tomite and Namame fought together. They made a good team. Tomite would shoot people that where far off, and Namame would take care of anyone that got to close with his knife. Also, Namame could spot any people that where hiding form them because he could sense there emotions and there for know that they where there and there exact location. He would then point them out to Tomite who would shoot them. However, there where only two of them, and they where outnumbered. Even with their powers as seishi they could not beat those odds. They where slowly being pushed back by the many Kutou solders who had seen that they where Genbu seishi and knew that if even one of them died then they would not be able to summon Genbu. Tomite cried out and fell, an arrow embedded in his right leg. Namame leaped to cover his flank, but both of them knew that they probably wouldn't last much longer. A swords man cut a long gash in Namame's right arm and he dropped his knife. He looked around helplessly for a weapon, and found none. The swords man who had hurt Namame's arm held his sword up high, ready to strike. Namame closed his eyes, waiting for the end and offering one last prayer to Genbu...  
  
Uruki and Hikitsu fought back to back. It was extremely hard, but they where keeping the enemy at bay. Barley. Both of them where standing over six our seven wounded Hokkan solders. Hikitsu could feel the sweat running down his face and neck and the blood gushing from my many cuts and scraps. He could also feel Uruki breathing very hard. The cuts and scraps weren't serious wounds, so he wasn't very worried about them. He just hoped that they could hold the Kutou solders off for long enough for help to come and get the Hokkan solders to the infirmary. It was about five minutes later, when he had just sent out another one of his ice dragons, when another nine Hokkan solders ran over to them. While some began to help them hold off the Kutou solders the others helped the wounded that they had been guarding to the infirmary, where they knew Takiko was. Hikitsu breathed a huge sigh of relief and he and Uruki thanked the nine solders breathlessly and then plunged into the middle of a particularly large group men wearing the blue armor of Seriyuu.  
  
Hikitsu sent three of his ice dragons ahead of he and Uruki and froze several Kutou solders. They where so close together that the dragons hit three or four people at the same time making them into ice statues. He smirked thinking that they where foolish to stand so close to each other and saw Uruki grin out of the courier of his eye. Then, they where all around them. Uruki killed or seriously injured anyone that wasn't already frozen with her sword, while Hikitsu froze as many as he could at once. The Kutou solders didn't know what had hit them. They quickly ran into the city, away from them. Both of them knew that once they knew that once they thought that they had lost them, they would begin to murder anyone who they ran into. That included the old, the young, woman and children. Anyone that they saw. They looked at each other and made a decision in a split second. Both of them ran after the soldiers at the same time, Uruki a little bit behind Hikitsu because she couldn't run quite as fast. They ran together for about five minutes when the worst possible thing happened. Suddenly, Hikitsu heard a scream of pain from behind him. He turned around just in time to see Uruki begin to fall, an arrow embedded deep into her back, the red blood gushing from her wound...  
  
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**Tomite's POV**  
  
I waited for the blow. The blow that would kill me. I thought of Takiko. Of how she had made me promise not to die before she was able to say goodbye. _Forgive me, Takiko. It looks as if I won't be able to keep my promise to you after all,_ I thought. The blow would come soon. It would all be over for Namame and I in just a second.....   
  
I waited...  
  
And waited...  
  
And waited...  
  
But the blow never came. Slowly, I opened my eyes. Beside me, Namame was muttering a prayer to Genbu. But in fount of me, there was a light, almost see through, green barrier. On the other side of it, I could see the Kutou solders, that had seconds before been attacking us, looking frightened. They began to run. All except one of them. He was a young boy, that was also surrounded in green light, even though his armor was blue. The source of the light surrounding him came from somewhere on his back, or maybe a little below that. Suddenly, I understood. I tried to stand, but found that I couldn't because of my leg. Instead, he came to us, as the green lights each all of us faded. He bent down next to me.  
  
You're a Genbu Seishi, aren't you? I said. By that time, Namame had realized what was going on and nodded his agreement.  
  
Yes. my name is Dugureng Zaan but you may call me Iname, he answered.  
  
Um... May we see your seishi symbol? Asked Namame. I had been wondering the same thing.  
  
Um... Er.... Well... He blushed deeply. It's not in a place that I usually show to the public... This confused me.  
  
Well... Where is it? I asked.  
  
His blush deepened. My right buttock... That surprised me. No wonder he didn't want to show it...  
  
W-well then... W-why are you in Kutou armor? Judging by his face, Namame was also surprised. Iname sighed.  
  
I knew that that question would come soon. You see..... How should I say this? I wasn't born in Hokkan. My birth place and all my family is in Kutou. My parents found out about me being a Genbu Seishi when I was very young and didn't want me to help you defeat Kutou and summon Genbu. They told me horrible stories about the Genbu no Miko and her other seishi, but I didn't believe them. I knew about my destiny and couldn't believe that the people that shared it could be that bad. Still, there was no way for me to get across the border and find the Genbu no Miko or any of her seishi that I had heard about. And the war didn't help either. Nobody could cross the border unless they where a soldier and had specific permission from the emperor. So I made my parents think that I believed them and signed up for the army, so I could get into Hokkan. While he had spoken, another one of the green things had surrounded us.  
  
What's your power? And what are those green things? I asked. At this, he smiled.  
  
My power is making magical shields. And the green things, are the magical shields that I create. Nothing can break them if I am completely healthy and not tired or drained when I make them. Now, we need to get both of you to the infirmary. I just hope that your solders won't shoot me down as soon as they see me...  
  
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**Hikitsu's POV**  
  
I quickly ran up to Uruki and caught her. She was already passed out. Or dead. I wasn't sure witch. I wasn't sure if I wanted to find out. I held her in my arms, moaning. The person who did this would did. I felt my symbol blaze to life. _They will die!_ I thought, blinded by anger and grief. I thought that she was dead. Her warm blood was seeping into my cloths. I didn't care. All that mattered was that she was dead, and whoever killed her would pay. I looked around and saw an enemy archer on top of a roof. Yes. He was the one who had killed Uruki. He was the one who would pay. The archer aimed an arrow at me and shot. I froze it in mid air, and hear it drop harmlessly to the ground in front of me. One of my ice dragons shot tours him. He didn't even have time to scream, before he was frozen and dropping to the ground. stopped watching him as soon as I knew that he was dead. I looked back at Uruki, and to my amazement I saw her chest moving up and down very slowly. She was breathing! Relief flooded me. I knew that I had to get her to the infirmary or she would die. But that was at least a mile away. She would never make it!  
  
You look like you could use some help, said a voice from behind me. I turned quickly, half expecting it to be another Kutou soldier. But it was just a villager. A boy, who looked about my age.  
  
Y-yes. It's my companion. She was- I began.  
  
I know. I saw the whole thing, he interrupted me. Then he knelt next to me and pulled a knife out of his belt.  
  
What are you doing? I almost yelled, afraid that he was some crazy person and was going to hurt Uruki more. He didn't answer me. Instead, he made a long gash in his left arm and began to mutter things under his breath, letting his blood fall onto Uruki's wound. As he muttered, a green symbol appeared on his elbow, just visible through his thin shirt, filling the street with a bright green light. Then I understood who he was, even if I didn't know what he was doing. He had to be one on the other Genbu Seishi. Still, I had to wonder if he was crazy. Then, before my eyes, Uruki's wound began to close. It was healing! The man stopped and looked worn out. He quickly bandaged him self.  
  
A-are you one of the Genbu Seishi? I asked.  
  
Yes. I am, he said tiredly. My real name is Shi-Hsiu, but my seishi name is Hatsui. You are also a Genbu Seishi, aren't you?  
  
Yes. My real name is Chen Entato, but you may call me Hikitsu. And my companion is Uruki, but her real name is Bai-Ling Soo.  
  
I see. That explains everything...  
  
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_~End of Chapter 17~_  
  
Wow! Two seishi at once! Now there's only one more to go. Umiyame. _And_ It's my B-day tomorrow! I'm so excited. August 18th! I can't wait! More coming soon. Don't forget to review!


	18. Kutou Planes

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV**  
  
Takiko was in hysteresis when she saw Tomite and Namame's condition, and even more worried when she saw that they where with a Kutou soldier. When Hatsui and Hikitsu came into the infirmary carrying a passed out Uruki, she was frantic. That night, all of them met in her room to have things explained to her and one another. Uruki had waken up earlier that day (Hikitsu had refused to leave her side until she had waken up saying that it was all his fault that she had been hurt), and the Hokkan soldiers had been able to drive off the Kutou forces. At least temporally. But they had taken damage. The emperor wasn't sure when the next attack would be and all entrances and exists to the city where being closely watched and guarded. Still, nobody knew how much longer they would be safe.  
  
The group began to tell each other what had happened in each of there days, and, in Hatsui and Iname's cases, how they had gotten there, that night in Takiko's room. It took almost two hours before everyone understood exactly what had happened that day. By that time it was very late and they all went to bed.  
  
Iname walked to his new room three doors down and across from Takiko's. He remembered the look on Takiko's face when she saw Tomite come into the infirmary and smiled. They where obviously meant for each other. They just couldn't see it.  
  
He would have to go to the emperor tomorrow and tell him all the things that he knew about Kutou and their plains. Takiko had told him that she would take him there and introduce he and Hatsui to the emperor. The she and Hatsui would leave so he could give his information to the emperor in private. She had also mentioned that the emperor was very nice. Iname had been waiting that moment a long time. He had always hated being in Kutou. Because he was a Genbu Seishi, he had been treated like dirt. It had been awful. He had been waiting all 17 years of his life for this. But why did he feel so nervous now that the opportunity had come?  
  
He laid down on the soft bed, but couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned for almost half a hour, thinking about all the things that had happened that day. He had finally found the people who he shared his destiny with, and they had been just as kind, strong, and, overall, wonderful people as he had imagined. So why didn't he feel more like he was a part of their group? He was different from them, despite all of the things that where the same. He didn't even feel like he belonged with Hatsui, even though he was also new in there group. The thing that separated him from them was that they _all_ came from Hokkan. He came from Kutou. If he wasn't a Genbu Seishi then he would probably be there enemy. He may even have killed some of them, although that was unlikely. Still, if he wasn't one of them, then Tomite and Namame would probably be dead. Because he had been there to put up the shield, they where alive. Because he had been there to betray his country and, in a very indirect way, his god, Seriyuu. As a child he had worshipped Seriyuu. It was how he had been taught by his parents. He had been taught that Seriyuu was the only god worth worshiping. That the other three gods where inferior. He hadn't believed them but...  
  
Iname still refused to believe the Seriyuu was a bad god. Only most of the people who worshiped him where evil. So who did he worship now? Seriyuu? Of the god that had made him his seishi, Genbu. And what about Byakko and Suzaku, of Sairou and Konan? They weren't bad gods either. _I suppose that I could just worship all four of them,'_ He thought. _Yes. That's what I'll do. After all, they are all worthy gods. And I am both of Seriyuu and Genbu. I just hope that none of them get mad at me because I'm not only worshiping them.'_ And with that thought swirling around in his head, he slowly drifted off, into a restless sleep....  
  
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**Hatsui's POV**  
  
The next morning I woke up quite early. I had always been the early bird in my family. My family... I wondered how they where doing. I hadn't seen them for six years. That was when they had left me. Left me to go to Sairou. My mother had said that I had to stay because I was a Genbu Seishi and had to wait for the Genbu no Miko. I remembered her face when she had said goodbye. She had looked so sad. Yet, she had still looked like she knew that she would regret her decision. They had left because her health had been bad and the Hokkan climate was making it such worse. I hadn't heard from any of them since. _We'll see each other again someday, somewhere. You just have to be patient.'_ My mothers last words to me before she left echoed in my head.  
  
I sighed and got up. I was supposed to meet Takiko and Iname soon so that we could have a breakfast together and then meet the emperor. Afterwards, Iname would be left alone with the emperor so that he could tell him everything that he knew about Kutou's plans, although he had insisted that he didn't know much. I got dressed hurriedly and then walked down to the place where we where to meet. It was a beautiful garden. I loved gardens. My mother had been a wonderful gardener before she had... left. I quickly shook that thought out of my head and went to sit down where Takiko and Iname where. They had spread a big blanket out on the ground and Takiko was setting food out onto it.  
  
Sorry. Did I keep you waiting? I asked.  
  
No. We've only been here a few minutes, replied Takiko and Iname. I sighed in relief and sat between my fellow seishi and Miko.  
  
Did you sleep well? Asked Iname.  
  
No. You? I said truthfully. He looked a little surprised but slowly shook his head. Where you nervous? I asked. He nodded. I was a little taken aback by his silence.  
  
You have no reason to be nervous, said Takiko. Not that I blame you. I was, too, when I first met the emperor. But he's a really nice man. When we both looked doubtful, she said forcefully, _Really!_ He's quite nice. I'm not lying!  
  
W-we don't think that you're lying, Takiko-sama. It's just.... I've never heard of a nice emperor. The one in Kutou is cruel and ruthless, Iname said.  
  
O-oh.... Okay then..... And please drop the sama', Iname-san. I'm not your ruler. I don't know either of you that well. I don't know what you have been threw. But I hope that we can be friends. We nodded. I never expected to hear something like that from the Genbu no Miko. Since she was supposed to be so powerful, I had expected her to be stuck up. I had never imagined a young girl (she was barley younger than me) who actually seemed almost weak.  
  
Takiko... If you don't mind me asking... How did you come into this world? I was surprised by my forwardness, but it was true that I had been wondering it for a while. She looked a little sad and said, Maybe later. I will tell you someday... It's just.... Well.... She sighed.  
  
It's okay Takiko-sama. You don't have to tell us.  
  
Drop the sama', Iname. It's annoying. Tomite already knows how I got here, but he's the only person. And I _will_ tell you someday. That's a promise.  
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**Iname's POV**  
  
I had also been wondering how Takiko had come to our world. I was glad that Hatsui had asked. It had spared me the embarrassment. The three of us ate our breakfast as Takiko told us the uses of a telephone. (I forget how that subject came up.) By the end of the meal, both Hatsui and I where very confused but we where all laughing. As we began to pack up the dishes and leftover food in the blanket, I felt my happiness fade. Soon I would be meeting the emperor. I had tried to imagine him. But couldn't. A _nice_ emperor. I had never heard of such a thing. Back in Kutou, I had heard that the Hokkan emperor was corrupt. Still... That was what Hokkan's enemies had said. I had heard many good things about him since I had come to this new country. The people of Hokkan seemed quite happy with him. Still... It was hard to just push aside the things that I had been taught as a child, even if I already knew that most of them where lies. It you are told things again and again a child, you begin to believe them no matter how much proof you get that they are lies.  
  
We finished cleaning up and walked inside the palace. On the way to the throne room we passed a servant. Takiko gave her the blanket and other things with a smile and asked her to see to them. Before I knew it we where at the throne room. We waited for about five minutes and then the guard at the door let us in. Hikitsu and the emperor where already inside.  
  
Hikitsu? What are you doing here? Takiko asked the older seishi.  
  
Hikitsu said looking up. Oh, Takiko. You're here already. I was just discussing our next move with Heika-sama. We don't know how much longer we can hold off the Kutou solders and without the seishi and there powers, but we also need to find the last seishi so we can summon Genbu. Still, if we leave then the capital will probably be over run very quickly. He turned to me. We need your information. And quickly. The Emperor nodded.  
  
Hikitsu, I know that you want to hear everything, but I will tell you anything new that happens later. Until then, could you please leave the room. I have to inform our two new comers of our position. Hikitsu smiled (It was the first time that I had ever seen him smile. and nodded.  
  
Of course, your Highness.  
  
Hikitsu-san, how many times do I have to tell you. Don't be so formal with me. Where friends. Hikitsu just bowed and left, still smiling. His Highness gave an exasperated sigh and then turned to us.  
  
Takiko-san, how are you?  
  
Fine, thank you.  
  
And these must be your new seishi. Both of us nodded. Welcome. I hope that you will find your stay in my palace enjoyable. We talked for a long time. Then, finally Takiko and Hatsui left. I then told Heika-sama all that I knew about Kutou and there plans After I had finished, he looked troubled.  
  
Is something wrong, Heika-sama?  
  
Well... It's just that Kutou seems much stronger then we thought. He stood. I must leave and send some of our troupes to the tribes that you told me that they where planing to attack. Please give my regards to Takiko and your fellow seishi. It was a great honor to meet you, Iname. Even if this country isn't where you have lived before now, I hope that you will feel at home here. And with that, he walked from the room. i watched him leave, his last words echoing in my head. _Even if this country isn't where you have lived before now, I hope that you will feel at home here.'_ Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that I had betrayed the people of Kutou. I may have stopped Seriyuu from doing a horrible thing. I wasn't sure, but I thought that the god wouldn't hold that against me. Maybe after all this was done, I would go back home. Maybe there I would find forgiveness. Just as I had found friends here. And for the first time since I had joined the Genbu Seishi, I felt as if I belonged...  
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_~End of Chapter 18~_  
  
Ack! My Internet is completely down! I can't get _any_ connection. That's why I have taken so long to get these chapters up. Sorry. My computer is really old (around five or six years) and is always having problems *Sniff* Anyway, more coming soon (if my Internet starts working). Please review!


	19. Confession

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV**  
  
Takiko walked threw the halls empty of the palace. It was dark, but she didn't care. Dark was perfect for being alone, and that was what she wanted at that moment. The emperor had finally decided that he would keep two of the six Genbu Seishi at the palace, while the other four would go with her to find the last one of the Genbu Seishi. they where leaving the day after the next. After that, they would come back to the capital and finally summon Genbu. That was, if everything went according to plan. The problem was that things rarely seemed to go according to plan. We where so close to reaching our goal. So why did it seem that we had just begun our adventure.  
  
I thought about my father, back in my world. _He must be worried sick about me. He probably thinks I'm dead. Now he must think that he's lost both my mother, and me. What dose he have left. What's even going to keep him living. He was always telling me that I was the most important thing in the world to him. That if something ever happened to me that he didn't think that he could live with the knowledge that I wasn't in his live anymore.'_ She began to cry at that thought._ And what about me? I'm the only one here in this world that knows anything about my world. I'm the only one here who even knows that where inside a stupid book! And what about Suzuno and my other friends. I may never get out of this book! I may never see them again!'_  
  
Takiko-san? What are you doing out this late? Takiko spun around at the sound of her name. But it was only Tomite. She quickly tried to hide her tears, but he had already seen them. He walked over to her and took out a tissue. He said. she dried her tears and handed it back to him.  
  
T-thank you, Tomite-san, she told him.  
  
It's all right... He paused. Are you okay? What's wrong? Can you tell me? She looked up into his hansom face and saw worry in his brown eyes.  
  
I... I'm just... She burred her face in his shirt and began to cry once again. She then told him how she missed her family, friends, and her entire _world_. He listened and comforted her.  
  
You'll be able to go back, soon. Once you summon Genbu, you can wish to go home, He told her once she was done. she knew that. But while she wanted to go home, back to her family and friends, another part of her wanted to stay in the book world. She had found friends there, and she didn't want to be separated from them any more than she wanted to be separated from her friends in the real world. She knew that she would miss them too much to ever leave. And Tomite was in the book world. If she had to leave him.... She didn't know what she'd do. But... she missed everyone and everything back in her world so much that she could hardly stand to stay in the book world another second...  
  
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**Takiko's POV**  
  
I... I'm not sure if I want to go back.... I said hesitantly, my words muffled by his shirt that I still had my face burred in. He pushed me away from him so he could get a good look at me, puzzled.  
  
You don't? But I thought...  
  
I'm a way, I do want to go home. I miss everything and everyone there. I wish that I could see my family and friends again. But... I know that if I went back.... I would miss this world as much as I miss my world. I'd miss the emperor, Iname, Hatsui, Namame, Uruki, Hikitsu and... and you, Tomite. I'd miss everyone. He looked at me strangely.  
  
I...I'm glade. I don't want you to leave me. Even though it may be impossible, I want you to be with me. Even though it seems selfish.... Takiko I... There was a pause. And then, suddenly, his lips where pressed against mine and he was kissing me passionately. So I did the only thing that I could do. I kissed back. I put all the love I felt for him into that one kiss. It was all that mattered at that moment. It didn't matter that we would probably never be able to be together. It didn't matter that I was homesick. All that mattered was Tomite. He finally pulled back, blushing deeply.  
  
Takiko... I love you! I've loved you for so long! I've just been too scared to tell you. I... I'm sorry... It's just... I can't hold back my feelings anymore. If you don't feel the same way, then we can just go back to the way things where. We... we can just be friends. But... Either way.... I want you to know how I feel... I chuckled softly and kissed him. He raped his arms around my waste and my arms where around his neck, holding him close to me, not wanting to let go.  
  
You don't know how long I've waited for you to say that. I... I love you, too. So much. Maybe... not for as long as you've loved me, but... For a while now, I said once I pulled back. His face broke into a grin and we kissed again, and for a second I wished that moment would never stop. For the first time in a while, I was truly happy. And for those few minutes of happiness, I felt like I was in Heaven...  
  
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**Uruki's POV**  
  
Takiko and Tomite looked much happier the next day than either of them had in months. The kept giving each other looks and smiling when there eyes met. I finally pulled Takiko aside and said, Okay. It's time to spit it up. He told you, didn't he. The look on her face was hilarious.  
  
I-is it that obvious?  
  
Yes! You have to tell me everything. Did you kiss?  
  
She blushed. Yes.... We did.... Soon, I had gotten all the details from Takiko about that night and promptly went off to tell everyone else, despite her protests. Namame asked a ton of questions, some of witch I couldn't answer. I got the distinct impression that he was more nosy that I had noticed at first. Maybe in that way he was a little like me.  
  
That was our last day together. The next day, Takiko, Tomite, Iname and Hatsui left to go find the last Genbu Seishi, Urumia. Namame and I where going to stay behind and protect the capital and the emperor. Because Kutou was attacking from the south, they figured that Urumia was in the east and where going to go that way first. The emperor had said that most people had deserted there homes and gone east so that they could be safe from Kutou soldiers that would raid towns and murder anyone that they found. I felt so helpless as I hugged Takiko one last time and said goodbye to the others. I wished that I could be going with them. I couldn't believe that they would all be out there risking there lives in the wilderness of Hokkan, while I sat here in this peaceful city and did nothing. That is, unless the capital was attacked. But somehow, I didn't think that would happen. I didn't know why, I just didn't. Hikitsu pulled me aside just before they left.  
  
Uruki, I know what you're thinking. You think that you're going to be nice and safe here while where off risking our butts trying to find the last seishi. But you're wrong. The most likely thing that will happen is that we'll be staying at some inn while you risk your life defending the capital. I must not have looked convinced because then he said, I really mean it Uruki. I'm more worried about you and Namame than I am about myself.  
  
Well, thats typical. You always worry about everyone else before you worry about yourself. And I do feel helpless. But not for the reasons that you think. He looked like he was about to ask why I was worried, but at that moment Takiko called, Hikitsu-san! Where leaving! He gave me one last look and ran over to them.  
  
So, what did you want to talk to her about, Hikitsu-san? I heard Tomite ask him as they left.  
  
Just something... He answered.  
  
Aw come on Hikitsu. Tell me.  
  
Nope. And don't ask so many questions.  
  
_Oh Hikitsu.... If only you knew that the reason that I feel so useless is because if something happens to you, I won't be able to do anything. I won't even be there,'_ I thought as they disappeared into the blood red sunset. I felt my brown hair whip against my face, but didn't care. The bitter wind bit into any of my flesh that wasn't covered. I stayed out there well after sunset, just starring at the direction that my friends, Miko, and love had gone. And I silently wished them well on their journey.  
  
You know.... If you stay out here much longer you'll catch your death of cold, A voice from behind me said. I turned to look at the speaker. It was Namame. Lets go inside, he continued.  
  
I-I think that I'll stay out here a little longer. You go on in, I replied. But instead of going inside, he sat down beside me. We sat there for a while. Not talking or anything, just sitting. Normally I hate silence. Although the town I came from was small, it was crowded and noisy. There was always something happening there. But somehow I didn't mind this silence. It was... nice. Namame was wonderful in that way. Some people never knew when to stop talking. They just didn't know how to listen or simply be silent. In that way, he was like Hikitsu. Even if he was a nosy idiot. Finally he broke the silence.  
  
You love him, don't you. He sounded like there was no doubt in him that what he said was right. I knew who he was talking about. But I wasn't about to let him know that.  
  
I asked. Who do you think I'm in love with?  
  
  
  
W-who told you that?  
  
No one. I guessed. But you do, don't you.  
  
Um... Well... How did you know?  
  
I've sensed it. It's not an emotion that I have much experience with, so I didn't recognize it at first. Of course, I've sensed it around my parents, but I was used to that. It felt strange to sense it around someone else. Almost alien. When I found out that Takiko and Tomite were in love, I realized that love was the feeling that I had been sensing around them, as well as around you. And right now, I sense worry. You're worried about him, aren't you. I nodded. I thought so. But you shouldn't worry. He is strong. And he has an extra protection with him One that even he probably doesn't even know he has.  
  
What's that? I asked. I was wondering how someone could have a protection that they didn't know they had.  
  
Your hart. Love, can be a powerful protection. I didn't understand, and decided not to ask. Knowing Namame, in I had he would have just given an even more confusing answer. Instead, I asked another question that had been worrying.  
  
Um... You won't tell anyone, will you?  
  
Of course not, Uruki-san.  
  
Um... Have you ever fallen in love, Namame-san?  
  
In a way, he said a sad look coming across his face. Then he stood. I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow morning, Uruki-san. With that he left, and I absently wondered what he meant by _In a way.'_ I wondered if something had happened to Namame. And then I finally understood what Namame and Hikitsu had been trying to tell me. That it didn't matter if I couldn't protect Hikitsu. I wasn't helpless. I could still protect him. In my own way. I could protect him with my hart, even if I wasn't there with him. Even if one of us died. I was confident that we would always be together...  
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_~End of Chapter 19~_  
  
Wow! That was a long chapter! Thank you to all of those people who have stuck with this story for this long as well as to all my reviewers. **The Genbu Story** is turning out to be quite long. Longer than I intended it to be when I first started writing it, anyway.  
  
I tried to show Uruki's gentile side in this chapter. I don't show it much. She's usually a bit more fiery. But she dose have one. Also, I finally had Takiko and Tomite confess their love for each other! It's about time, too! I'm sorry to anyone who doesn't think that it's romantic enough of a confession (and that includes me), but I couldn't think of any other way for it to happen, and the story probably isn't going to be that much longer. I mean, I'm already on chapter 19. *sigh* It feels like I just started chapter 1 yesterday. Now all I have to do is make Uruki and Hikitsu confess their love for each other, if they ever do. Well... At least that's all I have to do when it comes to love. But I'm not going to tell you any of my other ideas. I'm not sure if I'm even going to do any of my current ideas, including having Uruki and Hikitsu ever confess their love for each other. I may just make them never get a chance to tell each other or something. Please review because, surprisingly, I like this chapter. I'm happy with how I did on it. (Witch is something that doesn't happen often. I usually hate how I do on the chapters as well as the story overall.) More coming soon. Thanks!


	20. Weakness

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV**  
  
The four Genbu Seishi and the Genbu no Miko rode until well after the sun had set. After dark, the already cold temperatures dropped to well below freezing. The fierce wind was deafening and the horses struggled to make their way through the deep snow. Takiko's long hair whipped into her face and the cold wind bit into any part of her left uncovered. She shivered and huddled closer to Tomite, who she was sharing a horse with, wishing that she had tied her hair back.  
  
"Are we caught in a blizzard?" She yelled loudly, but none of her seishi could hear her over the howling wind. Not even Tomite took any notice of her question. She squinted, trying to see Hikitsu who was directly in fount of her. She could barely see his outline through the thick snow. She shivered._ 'It's so cold in this country,'_ she thought miserably.  
  
Iname watched Hikitsu. He seemed to be the only one who knew where they where going and was acting as their guide. He had taken a great liking to the emperor and had discussed where they would go to find the last seishi in great detail with him, using the information that Iname had given the emperor. Iname saw Hikitsu make a hand jester and looked where he was pointing. He squinted, trying to see through the snow, and saw what might have been a cave. But it also may have just been a shadow. He then understood that Hikitsu knew that they needed to find a shelter, fast, and thought that they may be able to be safe inside the cave. If it really was a cave. Iname silently agreed with him, and the small group began to make there way to the shelter, hoping that it was really a cave and not just a shadow.  
  
Lucky, it really was a cave. Inside, it was cold and dark, but at least there was no more wind. Hatsui lit a torch and the cave was lit with an eerie light. The group looked around. It was a small cave, but there was something wrong with it. It seemed... inhabited. There was some old tattered blankets that looked strangely like a bed in one of the corners, and places to put torches so the cave wouldn't be so dark on the walls, among other things. There was even a stack of fire wood. The five worn out companions studied the items, puzzled.  
  
"All these items look as if they have been recently used..." Mused Tomite as he looked at the bed.  
  
"If this cave is inhabited, then whoever lives in it may come back and be angry with us if we stay. They may even try to kill us. And who knows what type of powers they may have," said Hatsui.  
  
"But if we go out into that blizzard, then there is no way that we'll survive. And whoever lives in this cave may be friendly. Even if they aren't, they may not come back while we're still here. I think that it's probably better to risk it," Hikitsu said. The others nodded in agreement, hoping that he was right. Then, they began to settle down for the night. Hatsui made a fire while Iname started to take out the sleeping bags. There would be no need to use the tents while they where in the cave, and they would probably be there for a long time if the blizzard kept going like it was then. They could only hope that it would be over before morning, but none of them had their hopes up.  
  
Soon Hatsui had made a roaring fire that warmed up the cave and cast much more light than the torch had. The group had decided not to use the torch holders or any of the other items unless they really needed them. Tomite began to pass out blankets and everyone began to settle down next to the fire.  
  
Even with the fire, it was still cold in the cave. Takiko snuggled deeper into her blanket. The wind outside howled loudly, making her feel like there was something outside the cave that wanted to hurt her. She desperately wished for Namame and Uruki. She felt so safe with strong Uruki and understanding Namame. Not that she didn't think that her other seishi could protect her. It was just that although she knew Tomite and Hikitsu well, she didn't know Hatsui and Iname that well. It wasn't that she didn't trust them. She did. She just didn't feel quite as safe with them as she felt with the seishi that she knew better and had been with longer. She wondered what Uruki and Namame where doing at that moment. She hoped that they where safe. That Kutou hadn't attacked. She hoped that she and the other seishi could get back to the capital with the last seishi before something horrible happened. Although she had only been there for a little while, Hokkan was almost beginning to feel like her home. She still missed her world and her family and friends, but she wasn't sure that she wanted to go back to it. In Hokkan she had Tomite and the other seishi. She had made priceless friends and she wasn't sure that she would be able to leave all of that, even for everything that she'd had in her world. She sighed, confused by her own thoughts.  
  
"I'm going to bed. Good night everyone," she finally said.  
  
"Good night, Takiko," Tomite responded softly and the others nodded or also said "Good night." She yawned as she climbed into her sleeping bag, and fell asleep almost immediately...  
  
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**Namame's POV**  
  
Kutou was attacking. Uruki and I where out on the battlefield defending the capital. The emperor was also fighting. It had surprised me when he had told us that he would be fighting along with his soldiers, although I suppose it shouldn't have. I already knew that he loved his country and his people. That he was willing to do anything to protect them, even if it meant risking his own life. But it still surprised me that someone who could be safe in his palace surrounded by guards, was willing to fight along with the rest of us. I don't know Heika-sama as well as most of the other seishi, and I suppose I have a bit of a bias view on all rich people. I knew that the emperor wasn't an ordinary rich person, (I did know him well enough to figure that out, and even if I hadn't, I still would have know from all the stories about what a kind and wonderful man he is.) but still... My experience with the rich and powerful was that they didn't care about anyone but themselves. After you believe something for a long time, it's hard to stop believing that even if you have proof that it's not true.  
  
Uruki was with the emperor, protecting him and making sure no harm came to him. She knew him better. That's why she had been given that certain assignment. Heika-sama_ was_ the most important person in all of Hokkan, except for_ maybe_ the Genbu no Miko. And that was only a maybe. I suppose that's why he needed a body guard. Any Kutou soldier would love to bring his head back to their emperor. They all knew that if he died, Hokkan would be a mess. There may even be a civil war as people fight for the throne! We couldn't let that happen. So Uruki was with the emperor and I was off fighting on my own.  
  
Kutou had surprised us. They had snuck up on us while everyone was still asleep, killed the guards at the gate to the capital before they could raise an alarm, and then attacked violently while it was still dark outside. If they hadn't made so much noise when they started attacking, they may have successfully destroyed the entire capital without anyone knowing what they were doing. Lucky, they did make a lot of noise, and people where awakened from their peaceful slumber to see a living hell. Kutou soldiers where ruthlessly murdering anyone they saw, and the dying cries of animals, men, women, even some children, filled the night air.  
  
Of course, the noise couldn't be heard from the palace at that point. But one of the villagers was able to get to the palace and warn the emperor. We were lucky. If that person hadn't risked his life to warn the emperor of the danger he was in, we may have all been dead.  
  
It was very dark. The only thing telling me who was an enemy and who was a friend was their emotions. I absently wondered how everyone else could tell who was who. But I didn't have time for absent wonderings. I put all of my other thoughts out of my mind and focused on the enemy. That was all that mattered. Protecting the capital. I cut down more and more Kutou men, but there seemed to be no end to them. The pile of dead Kutou soldiers around my feet was growing. Just looking at them made me feel sick. I had caused all those deaths. No doubt they deserved it, but what would their family and friends say when they found out that this many people had died, killed by one of the Genbu Seishi. Killed by me. They were fighting for what they believed was right, as was I. Who knew what they had been told back in Kutou? If they hadn't had anyone to tell them otherwise, then who could blame them for believing what they were told by the people in Kutou?  
  
And not all people from Kutou could be bad, right? Just like not all people from Hokkan could be good. Iname wasn't bad, and he had been born and raised in Kutou. He had told the other seishi and I how his parents and everyone around him had told him horrible stories about Hokkan. How as a child, he had never experienced real love from his parents, like I had. Yet, he was still kind to people around him. He still hadn't forgotten how to laugh. I didn't know if I would have been able to do that. I think that I probably would have just broken down and believed the people around me. But he didn't. Perhaps he was stronger than me.  
  
All my life, I always thought that I was strong. I was one of the Genbu Seishi. I was the strongest person in my village. Because Genbu had chosen ME. Not anyone else. ME. But I wasn't. I had learned that during my time with the other Genbu Seishi. Hikitsu, who had lost Sora, his one true love, and his entire tribe. Yet, he was still able to love Uruki. Tomite acted cheerful (and sometimes he really was), but underneath, I could since a great saddness. But he still woulden't let others worry about him and went on with his life. Takiko was so far away from her home, family, friends, and everything that she had ever known. Yet, she never complained or cried. Iname had to feel like he was betraying his contrary and the god that he had worshiped since he was a child, Seiryu, by helping us. Yet, he never showed any sign of regretting his decision. Uruki loved a man that she thought she could never have, yet she still was able to hope that someday they could be together. I didn't really know much about Hatsui, but I was positive that he was also strong. Stronger than me. Compared to them, I was weak. I had gone through so little, while some of them had sacrificed_ everything_.  
  
While I was thinking, the fighting had become a pattern. I attacked and defended. I killed. I did it all without thinking. As I whirled around, avoiding my attackers attacks, everything became a blur. A mix of thoughts and reality. I had finally realized that the word "strong" could have more than one meaning. There was, of course, physical strength. I had that. But the more important definition was a little harder to find. It was a kind of strength that you couldn't just tell that someone had by looking at them. This kind of strength meant that you could go through tragedy after tragedy, and still keep you chin held up high. That you didn't always have to have someone to lean on whenever something bad happened to you. Someone with this kind of strength could win a battle against someone who was much stronger physicaly. I did not have that kind of strength. If someone needed to lean on someone else, I could be the person that they leaned on. But when something bad happened to me, if I didn't have someone to lean on and pour out my troubles to, I would break down. I wouldn't be able to take it. No. I was not strong.  
  
I thought of Uruki and how strong she was. I thought of our conversation just earlier that night. It seemed so long ago, but it had really only been a few hours._ 'I need to talk to her. The others are gone right now, but she is still here. She's strong. She will be able to lead me out of this maze. This maze of confusion and depression.'_ I thought. But thinking of Uruki brought me out of my daze. She should have been near the emperor. She had told me to come over to her after a while so that she would know that I was all right. I was her friend, not just one of her fellow Genbu Seishi. She was worried about me. Plus, she knew that Takiko would never forgive her if she let something happen to me. They needed me to summon Genbu. She had also said that she would find me, but she couldn't leave her post beside Heika-sama. It was her duty to protect him, and I knew that Uruki would do her duty or die trying. That was just the sort of person she was.  
  
I looked around to see where she and Heika-sama where. Finally I spotted them, and began to fight my way over to where they where. That was when I sensed it. A great feeling of confidence and gladness. Normally, I wouldn't have paid any attention to it, but these emotions seemed evil somehow. It was almost as if something inside me was telling me that something was wrong and that I had to find out what. I looked around and spotted where the emotions where coming from. It was from an enemy archer who was sitting up on the highest branch of a very tall tree near me, but still to far away from me to reach quickly. He had his bow drawn and an arrow to the string. I looked at where he was aiming. It was right at Heika-sama's heart!  
  
"HEIKA-SAMA, LOOK OUT!!" I yelled as loudly as I could. He didn't hear me. But, thankfully, Uruki did. She looked at me and then around her. She saw the archer just as he let his arrow fly. Every day of my life, I will replay that horrible moment in my mind, thinking of all the things that I could have done to stop what happened next. To stop that moment of agony and fear. But, of course, there is nothing that I could have done. There was no time. No time for anything. I couldn't stop the horrible thing that happened next. Because I was weak. But Uruki was not weak. She was strong. She did the first thing that came to her mind in the millisecond that she had to decide what to do. And she did it because she was strong.  
  
"URUKI!!!!"  
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_~End of Chapter 20~_  
  
Wow! That was a really long chapter. I made a huge cliff hanger at the end this time, didn't I? I'm so evil. But it's so fun to do things like that. I, as the author, get to make you wait as long as I want to read the next chapter! But don't worry. I probably won't make you wait long. I write chapters pretty fast.  
  
Today is September 11. It's already the second anniversary of a tragedy that rocked our nations foundations. I am truly sorry for anyone who lost someone important to them during the tarriest attacks, whether it was a family member, a friend, or any other type of relationship. I was lucky enough not to lose anyone, but a friend of mine almost lost her aunt. I hope that on this sad day you know that you aren't alone. That there are others that share your pain. Also, I feel that we can't only morn the deaths of those lost, but that we must also celebrate their lives.  
  
The next chapter will be up as soon as possible. Please review!


	21. The Sihouette of a Man

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV**  
  
Takiko woke up from her peaceful slumber and sat up in bed with a jolt._ 'What was that?'_ She wondered. She had felt something. Something big. Something important. She just wished that she knew what it was. She looked around at her seishi. Tomite and Iname, who had gone to sleep soon after Takiko, were also sitting up in bed, looking confused. Hikitsu and Hatsui where sitting close to the fire, looking alert as well.  
  
"W-what..." Hatsui started nervously.  
  
"Was that?" Iname finished his sentence for him, just as nervous.  
  
"I don't know..." Tomite replied slowly and Takiko shook her head to show that she also didn't know what was going on. They all looked at Hikitsu, hoping that he knew. Hikitsu was silent, lost in thought._ 'It couldn't be...'_ he thought.  
  
"We all felt it, so it must have been something important. Could it have been some kind of... of warning?" Takiko asked, "Hikitsu, do you know something?"  
  
"W-well... Maybe..... No, that can't be it. But... Then what could it have been?" Hikitsu wondered aloud, his voice barely a whisper.  
  
"What? What might it have been?" Takiko prodded gently. She wanted answers, but she didn't want to force things on him. Hikitsu was a private person and rarely told anyone what he thought. He may not want to tell them for a personal reason. He had so many secrets. It could be anything. She didn't want to pry into his business. Still, all five of them had felt it, whatever it was. So it seemed like it was their business, too. It seemed a little unfair that he knew and they didn't.  
  
"I-I don't know what it could have been, Takiko-san. I thought that maybe... But no."  
  
"What did you think?" This time it was Tomite that asked.  
  
"It doesn't matter, Tomite-san. I was incorrect. It can't be that. If it were... no. It isn't. It doesn't matter," Hikitsu said it in such a way that no one asked him anything more. He said it like he was trying to convince himself, as well as them. For that moment, he had let down his mask and showed his emotions. He had showed what he really felt. Soon, his face was blank again. But at that moment, when he was thinking of what it could have been, he had put his guard down. He didn't want to believe that what they had all felt could possibly be what he thought that it may be._ 'No. Uruki's fine. The feeling was something else. Uruki wouldn't let anything happen to her. She's fine. She_ has_ to be fine. She just has to,'_ he thought desperately._ 'Namame's with her. He won't let anything happen to her. She's fine. She's one of the Genbu Seishi! She has to be fine...Oh, Genbu, Please let her be okay!'_ And so, he climbed into his sleeping bag and, eventually, fell into a restless sleep.  
  
None of the seishi, or Takiko, noticed the figure in the shadows. Of course they didn't. They would not have been able to see it if they had known exactly where it was. The figure smiled to it's self, showing its pearly white teeth. "So... You are the Genbu Seishi. I've been waiting for you," It said in a low, scratchy voice. It chuckled to itself, then melted into the shadows once more to watch the four seishi and their precious miko sleep...  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**Iname's POV**  
  
I woke up before the others the next morning. I don't know why. I never wake up first. I'm usually one of the people who sleeps latest. To my relief, I saw that the blizzard had finally stopped. I quietly began to roll up my sleeping bag, careful not to wake the others. Then I began to groom my horse. He really needed it. His main and tail were a mess as was his coat because of the storm the day before. I heard something and I looked around, but it was only Hikitsu getting up.  
  
"Good morning Hikitsu-san," I said. He looked at me and nodded his good morning. Good Seiryu, didn't that man ever smile? Hikitsu began to poke at the fire, which had been reduced to a few embers during the night, trying to get it going again. Finally, he did, and the cave began to warm up. But I barely noticed as I continued to groom my horse. I was lost in my own thoughts. I was thinking of Kutou, my home land. Of the one person who had ever really cared about me, despite the fact that I was one of the despised Genbu Seishi. Despite the face that I was an outcast in my own family. He, too, had joined the army, but not for the same reasons I had. Hokkan solders had killed his father, at least that was what he was told. We had never gotten any proof. I wouldn't be surprised if they hadn't, but I knew that that was unlikely. Kutou and Hokkan were at war. In war, people get killed. It is that way all over the world. How else could his father have died? How else could so many people have died? He wanted revenge, although he hated to kill. He hated the people of Hokkan. They had stripped his entire family from him, for his mother had died giving birth to him and he was an only child. And for that reason, I was betraying him. I was betraying the first and, up until recently, only person who had ever cared about what happened to me. I was betraying my only friend  
  
I stopped running the brush threw the mare's coat and sighed, miserably. "Is something wrong, Iname-san?" A voice asked. It was Takiko. She was sitting by the fire, but now she got up and came over to me. I hadn't even noticed her wake up. Tomite was also up, but Hatsui was still asleep. I absently wondered how long I had been lost in my thoughts.  
  
"No. Nothings wrong. I was just... thinking." I lied._ 'I've only betrayed everyone and everything I've ever known. I've only betrayed the only person that ever really cared,'_ I added silently. I wasn't about to tell any of them anything about that. Takiko looked concerned.  
  
"Iname," She began in a low voice so that none of the others could hear. "You can tell me. I won't tell any of the others. It helps to have someone to talk to. Normally, I would tell you to talk to Namame, because he's a good listener. But Namame's not here, and you need to talk to someone."  
  
"What do you know! You would never understand how I feel!" I burst out, trying to also keep my voice low so that the others wouldn't hear. But it was hard. Everything I did in this country was just one more betrayal. I hated people who betrayed others, but here I was betraying_ everything_. Takiko looked hurt and I instantly regretted my outburst.  
  
"Iname... If you'd just tell me what's going on, then maybe I will understand. And, I think that you don't really realize it, but I'm the person who's in the most similar position to you. I'm also in a place that's unfamiliar to me. I'm also away from everything that I've ever known. The only real difference is that you are from the same world as you're in now and that I don't feel that I've betrayed anything in any way! I know that you must feel like you're betraying your god, Seiryu, and your country, and everything that you've ever known. So don't try to tell me that you're fine. Nobody could be fine after going through what you're going through," she told me, still being calm and gentle. I realized that she was right the instant that the words were out of her mouth and felt even worse than I already had, if that's even possible. But still, a thought nagged at the corners of my mind._ 'Does that include you, Takiko-san? Are you all right after going through everything that you've been through?'_ I would have to ask her later. But then, I shoved the thought out of my mind and let my thoughts return to that moment, struggling to find a way to tell her that I was sorry for my outburst.  
  
"I-I'm sorry... It's just...." No. That sounded wrong. I hated apologizing. But still, Takiko didn't know everything about how I felt. She didn't know about my biggest betrayal, and no matter how much I wanted to lie and tell her that I was okay, I knew that I wasn't. Also, I'm an awful liar. If I tried, she would catch me for sure.  
  
Takiko saw the confused look on my face smiled at me. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me if you really don't want to. I understand." I had to stop a sigh of relief and made a mental note to thank her later when I understood my own feelings.  
  
"Takiko-san, Iname-san, breakfast is ready," Hikitsu said. "Tomite-san, would you go wake Hatsui up. We'll be leaving as soon as we're done eating and everyone is ready to go. It would be a shame for him to miss breakfast because he slept in and couldn't get packed and eat in time." Takiko laughed as Tomite groaned and got up to wake Hatsui up. Soon, we were all around the fire eating.  
  
I watched the others. Takiko and Tomite talked and laughed with each other. Hikitsu was silent, like me, lost in thought. Hatsui was still grumbling, after not having enough sleep. Or at least not having enough sleep in_ his_ opinion. The rest of us felt like he'd had plenty. The atmosphere in the cave was comfortable, and even I felt relaxed. I didn't know that everything was about to change. That my worst nightmare was about to cone true.  
  
A shadow blocked the entrance to the cave. We all looked, and at the caves mouth, was the silhouette of a man. I knew who was there, even before I saw his face. And I was afraid. Afraid of what I knew was about to come...  
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_~End of Chapter 21~_  
  
Two words. Writers block. It took me forever to think of what was about to happen in this chapter. I hope that you don't think that I went into the betrayal thing to much. Come to think of it, in the last chapter, I went into the weak thing with Namame to much, didn't I? Oh well. I guess that's just how I write. You'll just have to live with it. ^^ More coming soon. Please review!


	22. Kuro

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV**  
  
The figure in the doorway stepped inside the cave. "So," it began in a low male voice, "I have finally found you, Dugureng." Iname stared, frozen to the spot. He knew that voice. He had heard it so many times. But now, it was hard and cold, like the blizzard that he and the other seishi had fought to get through just the day before. It stung him, just as the fierce wind of the blizzard had, to hear that voice, which he had always associated with comfort and acceptance, talk to him in that tone of voice with him.  
  
"I suppose so, Kuro. You don't seem to be very happy to see me," he answered, trying to keep his voice from shaking. It was a loosing battle. Kuro smirked as he heard the quiver in Iname's voice.  
  
"Iname, who is this?" A voice said. Iname looked behind him and saw that it was Takiko. Kuro also looked at Takiko and the other Genbu Seishi.  
  
"So, Dugureng, these are the people who you've betrayed your nation for? You've decided that these _scum_ are better then me as well as all of Kutou!" Kuro's words stung Iname, and he looked away._ 'He's right. I've run away from Kutou, from him, to be with these people. I've run from my fears, and my enemy. But even worse, I've run from my friend,'_ he thought miserably.  
  
"Kuro... Please listen to me. These people aren't bad. They-" he started.  
  
"What do you know?! They murdered my father! They're barbarians! They don't care about others. They only care about themselves." Kuro yelled, his voice echoing throughout the cave.  
  
"Kuro, please. Someone in Hokkan killed your father. This is true. But these did not. The chances are that they weren't even there when he was killed. And many people form Kutou have killed people from Hokkan. People with family and friends. Besides, this is war, Kuro! In war, people die. That's the way things work. There has never been a war where nobody has died. Never!" Iname tried to persuade the man who had once been his friend, but to no avail.  
  
"Don't you see, Dugureng? Their all the same. They're all murdering barbarians! They've stolen everything from me. They already stole my father, and now they're stealing you!"  
  
"They haven't stolen me, Kuro. I went with them on my own. It's my destiny as one of the Genbu Seishi, even if I was born in Kutou. I haven't stopped caring for you. You were... no..._ are_ my best friend. For a long time, you were my only friend. I wish that I hadn't had to betray my country, and everything that I've ever known. But I know why I had to betray them, so I don't regret doing what I did. But..." Tears began to run down Iname's cheeks as he talked. "I do regret betraying you. I wish I hadn't had to do it. Back in Kutou, you were the only person who ever really cared what happened to me." Iname stopped, trying to find a way to convince Kuro of how he felt, but failing.  
  
"You're lying. You never really cared about me. It was all just an act. And after I trusted you all this time! You betrayed me! I'll never forgive you! I'll kill you, and the rest of the Genbu Seishi!" With that, Kuro pulled off his cloak and pulled out a large war ax. He lunged at the Genbu Seishi in front of him, crazed with rage. Iname and the other seishi barely dodged the attack, Tomite pulling Takiko out of the way. Kuro turned towards Iname and began to advance. Hikitsu quickly raised his hand to create an ice snake and freeze Kuro so that Iname wouldn't be hurt.  
  
"Hikitsu, stop! Don't hurt him!" Iname yelled to him. Hikitsu faltered and the ice snake disappeared.  
  
"What's wrong, Dugureng? Don't have the nerve to let him kill me? Or do you just want to kill me yourself?" Iname's attacker taunted, then lunged for Iname's throat. Iname dodged just in time and the war ax hit the stone wall of the cave. As Kuro tried to wedge his ax out of the wall, Iname scrambled towards his pack, grabbing the abandoned blade next to it. He turned to face Kuro just as he managed to pull his ax out of the wall with a jerk. For a second Kuro was off balance, but he recovered quickly._ 'Why? Why didn't he attack me while I was off balance?'_ Kuro wondered, but pushed the thought aside as he lunged, determined to kill the man who was once his best friend.  
  
Iname didn't want to fight Kuro. He was the person who had accepted him for who he was when nobody else would. However, he would still fight Kuro. Because if he didn't, and Kuro killed him, then Genbu would not be summoned. And he may kill the other seishi and Takiko, too. Or, they would kill him. Iname couldn't let that happen. If anyone was going to kill Kuro, then he would do it. Then he would at least be out of his misery.  
  
Iname put up a shield to stop Kuro from cutting him in half. Kuro cursed and tried to break it. But, of corse, it wouldn't break. "Kuro! Please stop this. It's useless. I don't want to have to kill you!" Iname cried as Kuro surveyed his shield, trying to find it's weakness.  
  
"Coward! Come out of there and fight me like a man!" He yelled, acting like he hadn't heard Iname, even though everyone knew that he had. But Iname didn't put the shield down. Kuro cursed some more and looked around the cave. His eyes rested on Takiko. He smirked an ran towards the small girl.  
  
"TAKIKO!!!" cried Tomite, but he was to far away to save her. Takiko eyes widened in fear as she saw Kuro coming towards her. She tried to run, but stumbled and fell onto the cold stone. Kuro was about to kill her, when something was embedded in his back. He stumbled back, and fell, blood dripping down his back...  
  
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**Iname's POV**  
  
Just before Kuro killed Takiko, I threw my sword, embedding it in his back. I had done it on impulse. "D-Dugureng?" He whispered just before he fell. I ran up to him, tears streaming down my face.  
  
"Kuro. Kuro!" I cried, lifting him in my arms. He smiled weakly at me.  
  
"Well, Dugureng? Are you... happy? You've... killed me." His voice was soft and barely audible, but I could still hear him.  
  
"No. No! Kuro, you have to live. I don't want it to end like this!" I looked around frantically. Hatsui walked over to me and crouched.  
  
"If you want, I can heal him. But if he attacks one of us again the we'll just have to kill him, Iname," he said quietly. I looked down at my dying friend and nodded slowly. Hatsui drew out his knife and was about to make a long cut in his left arm when Kuro spoke again.  
  
"D-don't... bother." We both looked at him.  
  
"Kuro?! What are you saying? We can save you! We can go back to the way things used to be! Don't you remember everything that we did together? We... We can start over."  
  
"No.... We can't. Things will... never be the same, and... you know it. I... I was stupid.... to think that you'd... ever betray me. Besides.... I don't... want to live... anymore."  
  
"W-what? What are you saying, Kuro?" He grinned weakly at me. "Hey... Dugureng.... this way... I'll be with... my father.... and... Yind..."  
  
"No... No. You can't... You can't die. Yind and your father will always be with you. No matter what. You don't have to die to be together.! Don't you remember? How Yind and you promised each other just before she died that you'd always be together!" To my surprise, he laughed.  
  
"Dugureng.... I'll miss you... My friend......" His eyes closed slowly, and with that, he was gone. Gone forever. I slowly set him on the cold floor of the cave and stared at his still face.  
  
"Kuro...." I whispered softly. But he would never answer. I felt like there was a great emptiness inside me where he had once been. He had been such a big part of my life, and I had killed him. I had killed my best friend. "You... you..._ fool_..."  
  
The others watched silently as I wept. I didn't even notice them. After a few hours, I went outside the cave to bury him. Once I did, I found a large stone and carved his name into it. I shoved it into the ground by the grave and looked at my work. "You deserved better, Kuro," I said to the spirit that I knew would never answer me.  
  
I don't know how long I stood there. I don't really care. Finally, Takiko walked out of the cave and stood by me also looking at the grave. "I-Iname... I... I suppose that I should thank you. You saved my life. And... I'm really sorry.... About Kuro." I watched her face as she struggled to find words to express herself.  
  
"It's okay. He.... I don't think that he wanted to live anymore. At least this way, he can be with Yind," I replied.  
  
"There's something I've been wondering about through this entire ordeal." A scratchy low voice said behind me Takiko and I turned and saw and old woman appear out of thin air. Her while hair was pulled back into a small knot at the top of her head. She looked very strange, standing there in the snow. No doubt she had once been beautiful. But now she wasn't, although I wouldn't quite call her ugly. There was something about her that I couldn't quite place my finger on. She looked at our surprised faces and smiled a bit, showing her teeth. The woman looked as if she had seen better days. Her clothes had once fit better and there were many patches in them. Everything she wore was second rate and had been used past its time. Her hazel eyes where hollow and haunted, as if they had seen horrible things. She had about seven earrings in one ear and three in the other, and she was leaning on a old, yet smooth, wooden staff. She wore no shoes and her skirt was ripped at the bottom, as were her sleeves, even though the bitter wind and snow were cold enough to give her frost bite. She acted as if she didn't need them. But that staff... It looked polished and new. There were intricate carvings in it and it was obviously expensive. It looked like it didn't belong on this strange old woman who was standing barefoot in the snow with thin, patched and ripped clothes that couldn't have offered much warmth. She just stood there, her cloths and a few bits of hair that had struggled out of her bun blowing in the wind while we looked her over. Finally, she spoke again, "Who is this Yind person that you talk about so much?"  
  
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_~End of Chapter 22~_  
  
Can you guess who the old woman is? I already know who she is, and I can tell you, I'm going to have fun with her. Have you guessed how she can appear out of thin air? If you don't remember, I mentioned her in chapter 20 as well, but it was only for a second. Also, then I called her "it" because I hadn't decided what gender I was going to make her, and even if I had, I didn't want to give anything away. I hope that I haven't given anything away in this. If I have, then I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Anyway, please review. I haven't gotten any reviews in a while. When I made Takiko and Tomite confess their love for each other, I thought that I'd get a few more reviews, but as of now, I've only gotten two, and one of them was for chapter two (I still liked it! Don't think that I'm mad that you didn't read the whole thing before reviewing! I like_ any_ reviews!). Thanks to anyone who has reviewed. I really enjoy them. Even the ones that criticize me. They help me get better. So whether you want to flame me, or complement me, the please review. Thanks! More coming soon!


	23. Umiyame

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV**  
  
Iname and Takiko stared at the woman. "Well? It's not nice to keep a old woman waiting. Answer my question," she said after a while, tapping her bare foot impatiently.  
  
"W-w-who are you?" Takiko asked, bewildered. "A-and how did you appear like that?"  
  
"Answer my question first," the woman retorted. She was grinning now at the looks on their faces.  
  
"Takiko, Iname, dinners ready!" A voice from inside the cave said. Tomite walked out, saw the woman, and stopped suddenly.  
  
"Who are you?!" He asked.  
  
"*sigh* Why dose everyone keep asking me that question?" The old woman asked before turning to Tomite. "You should respect your elders, Chamka Tan. Or would you prefer Tomite of the Genbu Seishi." Tomite froze.  
  
"H-how...." he managed to stutter out. The old woman simply laughed.  
  
"Tomite! What's taking you so long?" Called Hatsui. When there was no answer he walked out. Just like Tomite, he stopped suddenly when he saw the old woman. "Um... Hikitsu..." He called. "I think that you'd better come see this." A sigh was heard from inside the cave and Hikitsu appeared at it's mouth. Unlike the others, he showed no signs of surprise, but he most certainly was.  
  
"Ah, yes. And here's Shi-Hsiu. Or should I say, Hatsui. And, of course, we can't forget Chen Entato. But I'm sure that he's more used to being called Hikitsu now."  
  
"I am. And might I be so rude to ask, who are you? You seem to know all of us quite well, but none of us know you," Hikitsu replied, as calm as ever. But instead of answering him, the old woman just laughed again.  
  
"Before I tell you who I am, Dugureng Zaan, or maybe I should say Iname, over here," She pointed a bony old finger at Iname. "must answer_ my_ question. Who is Yind?"  
  
"Um... Well... Yind was..." Iname didn't quite know where to begin. Takiko sympathized.  
  
"Why don't we all go back into the cave and eat. Then we can talk," she said looking around. Iname nodded quickly, but the others where a little more reluctant. However, soon they were all sitting by the fire eating. Takiko had even insisted that they give the old woman some food, but nobody could figure out why. The entire meal Tomite kept an annoyingly close watch on the woman and a protective arm around Takiko.  
  
Soon, they where all finished and they turned to Iname to hear who Yind was. A few on the seishi had also been wondering who she was and were very eager to find out. Iname too a deep breath and began.  
  
"As you know, back in Kutou, there weren't many people who liked me because I was one of the Genbu Seishi. The first person to ever accept me was Kuro. We became quick friends. For years, he was the only friend I had. I thought that it would never change. But it did. You see... That was before Kuro and I met_ her._ One day, a family moved into the house next to mine. We watched as the family moved in. And that's when we first saw her. The most beautiful girl I've ever seen. Yind. She had long black hair that was always pulled back in a simple braid. Simple, but beautiful. And she had beautiful pale skin that was as white as the snow and a long graceful neck. She always wore simple dresses that would have looked plain on most girls, but on her, they looked elegant. And her eyes... They were perhaps the most beautiful thing about her. She had these big hazel eyes that were framed by long eyelashes."  
  
"At first, Yind didn't know that I was one of the Genbu Seishi. She became part of our group. And, slowly, both Kuro and I fell in love with her. But she loved Kuro, not me. So I kept my feelings inside of me, and did not let them show. I couldn't. I was too afraid.  
  
"It was about a year after we met her when she found out that I was one of the Genbu Seishi. I thought that she would hate me after that. But.... She didn't. She accepted me, just like Kuro did. And so, for her, and for Kuro, the only two people who ever accepted her, I abandoned my feelings for her. And she and Kuro where happy together. They married, and were going to have a son. But... I suppose that things weren't to be.  
  
"It happened just a few months before I came here. Bandits attacked our village. Yind..." Iname sniffed at the horrible memory, but continued. "Yind was raped, then murdered." He closed his eyes, fighting tears. " There was nothing Kuro and I could do but watch. I can still remember her screams..." He stopped, unable to go on. The others were silent. Finally, Takiko stood and went to him. Once there, she knelt by him and hugged him slowly.  
  
"It's okay, Iname. You don't have to fight it. You can cry, if you want to. It's better than holding it all in. We all understand," she whispered to the distraught seishi. And so he did. And as the other seishi and old woman watched, the roles where switched for a few moments, and the protector became the protected.  
  
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**Umiyame's POV**  
  
The boys story touched me, as did the Miko comforting him. For a long time, I'd had my doubts about going with them. Now, I knew that I would whether I wanted to or not. Drat my over sensitive heart. I don't know how long it took for the boy to stop crying and for everyone to go back to calmly sitting by the fire, but after it did, I knew what they where going to ask me. Still, I didn't just come out and tell them. I waited for them to ask me.  
  
"So... Now it's your turn, grandma," Tomite said in respectful voice with just a_ hint_ of sarcasm. But only a hint. I decided that I could look over it. After all, he would know his mistake soon enough.  
  
"My turn for what?" I asked in all innocence, flashing as sweet of a smile that I could get on my old withered face. Of course, that probably didn't look very sweet. Oh well.  
  
"You know very well what I mean, you old hag."_ Old hag?!_ I was old. I'd admit to that. But I was no hag. "Iname answered your question about Yind. Now you have to tell us who the hell you are!" The young fool was getting angry.  
  
"Mind your tongue!" I snapped at him. "A youngster should respect his elders."  
  
"And a grandma should act old!" He retorted. He was better than I though he was. Oh well. It was no matter. I simply smirked at him.  
  
"Oh come now. I'm not_ that_ old."  
  
"Whatever," he shot back. I think that he had completely forgotten that the other seishi were there. Stupid boy.  
  
"Um... If you two are finished... Can you tell us who you are now?" Said Hikitsu slowly. My grin widened. They would be so surprised when they found out who I was. I couldn't wait to see Tomite's face when he found out.  
  
Tomite, on the other hand, was blushing deeply from embarrassment. "S-so... Who are you?" He asked.  
  
"Who do you think I am?" I asked in return. I love answering questions with questions. It confused people.  
  
"I... I think that you're some useless old lady." Old I was. But I was most certainly not useless. And so... It got started again. Finally, the miko got Tomite to calm down. She seemed to have quite a bit of power over him. But she didn't seem like the type of person to rule over her seishi. The moment that she had shared with the seishi Iname was fresh in my mind. And so, Hikitsu asked me again who I was. And this time, I decided to stop playing with them. It was getting tiring. I stood, picking up my staff. The polished wood felt good in my hand as I leaned on it.  
  
"I am Umiyame of the Genbu Seishi." My voice rang throughout the cave and echoed long after the words were out of my mouth. I felt the green symbol, Wei, that translated to Danger or Roof, in the center of my forehead come to life and the cave was lit by a bright green light that reached to every corner in a way that the fire could not. "And just so you know... Your in _my_ house, right now..."  
  
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_~End of Chapter 23~_  
  
Yup! The old woman was Umiyame. Now all that they have to do is go back to the capital and summon Genbu! This story is almost done. YAY! I know that I must sound like a broken record because I've said this so many times, but thank you to everyone who has stuck with this from the beginning. It means a lot to me. Anyway, please review. More coming soon.


	24. Miboshi Again!

**Narrator's POV**  
  
Uniyame cooked as the other seishi and the miko set up camp in the small clearing that they had found in the forest that they where traveling through. At first, Uniyame was surprised that Takiko was helping, but she soon found out that the young miko had insisted that she helped soon after she had found Tomite. It was a few days after she had joined their little group and now they were now making their way to the capital. Uniyame smiled a bit, remembering how Tomite's face had looked when he had finally realized that she was one of his fellow Genbu Seishi.  
  
Since Uruki wasn't with them, Hatsui had been cooking for the group while they where traveling, before they had found Uniyame. But they had all discovered although he was better than Tomite, Hikitsu and Iname, he was still an awful cook. So, now that they had found Uniyame, she was doing the cooking.  
  
Soon, the camp was set up and they were all sitting around the small fire that Uniyame had been cooking over eating and talking. (Or, in Uniyame's case, teasing Tomite. She found it quite fun and did it often.) After they where done eating, everyone went to bed. Or... At least almost everyone; Takiko couldn't sleep, no matter how hard she tried or how hard Morpheus tempted her (Morpheus is the Greek god of slumber.). She was glad that they had found the last seishi. But at the same time, she was scared. She didn't know what would happen when she summoned Genbu. She didn't even know how! She sighed and sat up in her bedroll, exasperated. Quietly, so that she wouldn't wake Uniyame up, she stepped outside. Takiko needn't of bothered. Uniyame wasn't in bed as well. But she didn't know that.  
  
She silently slipped outside and looked around. At first, she was surprised to see Tomite leaning on a tree, but then she remembered that it was his turn to watch. He didn't notice her until she tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around with a start, but when he saw her, his face broke into a grin.  
  
"Couldn't sleep, Takiko?" He asked.  
  
"No... Do you mind if I sit down?" She replied and he nodded. She sat, shivering because of the cold. He put his arm around her and she leaned her head against his shoulder. And they just sat there is silence for a while, content to just be together.  
  
"Tomite..." Takiko whispered softly.  
  
"Hmm...?"  
  
"I love you."  
  
"I love you too, Takiko." She, too, smiled and snuggled closer to him. And they were happy. Happy to finally be together...  
  
Uniyame watched the two as they sat together. She smiled slowly. Those two really were meant for each other. She hoped that they would find happiness someday... somewhere..._ 'And what about_ them_?'_ a small part of her asked._ 'Didn't they deserve happiness? Didn't they deserve just as much of a chance as Tomite and Takiko do now? Why didn't you give them a chance? Why did you ruin their lives? Why did you murder them?'_  
  
"Jonmesta... Give me the strength and the patience that I could never have with you..." she whispered. She hoped that the spirit that the prayer was directed to could hear her. She took one last look at the couple by the tree, and then walked into the woods that surrounded them. She wanted to be alone. To think about her departed sister and her husband.  
  
Uniyame walked deeper and deeper into the forest. She rarely showed this side around others. Only when she was alone was it ever revealed, and since those times were few and far between, it was a surprise this art of her personality had lasted...she liked her other side better, to be honest. But sometimes- despite her attempts to keep it inside- sometimes this side of her showed. It had to. She sat on a fallen log and stared at her withered old hands, setting her staff on the ground carefully. It was the last thing that she had left of her dear sister... The one she had murdered... The one whose life she had destroyed...  
  
She didn't know how long she sat there, lost in thought. She only woke up from her "trance" when she heard a high pitch scream. Uniyame stood, grabbed her staff, and dashed off with surprising speed for someone of her age. She burst into the clearing and was horrified at what she saw. She knew that man that stood before Takiko and Tomite. She knew him.  
  
"Miboshi!"  
  
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**Tomite's POV**  
  
"Miboshi!"  
  
I heard Uniyame's low voice yell out the name of the tall, greasy haired man that floated before Takiko and I. For a second, I wondered how she knew who he was, but then I turned my attention back to Miboshi, hoping that Uniyame or one of the other seishi could get there soon. I didn't think that I could hold him off alone. Remembering what had happened the last time that we had met him sent shivers down my spine.  
  
I felt, rather than saw, Takiko shivering in fright behind me and watched as Miboshi's spindle began to spin. He was making a demon. I wondered absently if this demon would be as bad as the last one Uruki and I had fought as it formed in mid air. As soon as it was finished, I saw that it wasn't. It was worse. Much worse.  
  
Above us, floating in mid air, were about two dozen long lizard type demons. They had four short, stubby legs and long tails that they would flick back and fourth every few seconds. They also had very long tongues that looked almost like they belonged to a snake. I could tell that their fangs were poisons because every few seconds a small drop of poison would drip off of one of them and fall to the ground, leaving a small teardrop shaped sizzling black spot. They were colored almost a sickly yellow, with darker yellowed spots, like partially burned parchment, that covered them in no distinct pattern.  
  
I quickly put an arrow to my bow and aimed at the nearest one of the demons. But, before I could shoot, another one of the demons lunged at Takiko and I, ready to kill. I changed my target and shot at the demon who was speeding towards us as fast as I could. The arrow hit it in one of it's legs, just above it's knee. But my arrow didn't stop it and it continued to speed towards us. Unfortunately, since I had wasted so much time trying to shoot it, now there was no time to get out of it's way. I cursed and pulled Takiko down onto the ground, using my body to shield her. And there, I waited for the impact. The impact that would kill me.  
  
I waited...  
  
And waited...  
  
But the impact never came.  
  
Slowly, I opened my eyes and turned around to see why the demon didn't kill me now that I was at his mercy. To say the least, I was surprised by what I saw. The demon that had been attacking Takiko and I was lying on the ground dead. Something was holding off the others, I don't know what. I couldn't see it. It looked like they where just being held by the air alone. But... Air couldn't hold demons... Could it?  
  
Suddenly, Uniyame appeared in fount of Takiko and I. "Are you all right, Takiko? Tomite?" She asked. I dumbly nodded. How did she just appear in mid air like that? It baffled me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Takiko with the same surprised expression that I knew I had to be wearing.  
  
"Well then... If you're okay, Tomite, then you'd better get up and help me fight these things." She laughed suddenly, and for a moment I could see the young woman she had once been. "That is... Unless you would rather lay on top of Takiko like you're doing now." I blushed and quickly got up. Did she_ ever_ stop teasing me?! I mean, we were in the middle of a battle. How could she just joke around like that? In a way, it unnerved me.  
  
I wondered how she was planing to fight when she was so old, not to mention that she needed that staff to stand, as I put another arrow to my bow. I carefully picked my target... and the fight started.  
  
I was surprised by Uniyame. It seemed that she didn't need that staff to stand. She was all over the place, hacking away with it. Apparently, the staff was her weapon, although I don't know why she always leaned on it when she wasn't fighting like it was a cane. Like most things about Uniyame, I found this very strange. At first, we were winning. Especially when the other seishi joined us. That is... At first.  
  
Suddenly, I heard a scream of fear from near the tree where I'd left Takiko. I turned, as did the rest of the seishi, and saw that one of the demons had gotten to her. She tried to scramble away from it, but couldn't. The demon grinned, and then blew a misty fog type substance onto her. Slowly, she began to freeze. She was becoming an ice statue! It was exactly what I'd seen happen to so many of Hikitsu's foe's.  
  
"TAKIKO!" I yelled and rushed to her, trying to stop the ice from crawling up her legs and arms any more.  
  
"T-T-Tomite..." She was shivering. Soon, she would freeze to death!  
  
"No! Takiko! You have to hold on! I'll get you out of this!" I almost yelled, trying to assure her as much as myself. But I couldn't do anything. Before long, she was completely frozen...  
  
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_~End of Chapter 24~_  
  
I decided to make Takiko turn into an ice cube for one simple reason. Tomite and Hikitsu made Miaka go through the same thing. So, if a horrible character like her (I don't like Miaka) could stand it, then Takiko must have been able to do it. I wanted to prove that Takiko is just as good as Miaka. So, if she survives this, the it will be proven that she is just as good as Miaka. And if she doesn't, then you can all you Miaka fans can laugh at me and tell me what a fool I am. But we all want Takiko to survive, right? Besides, Tomite and Hikitsu had to think of freezing Miaka as a test somewhere. So this is where they got it from.  
  
Anyway, please review! And more coming soon.


	25. The Garden

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV**  
  
The seishi watched helplessly as Tomite clawed at the ice around their frozen miko, trying desperately to get it off of her. Finally, Hikitsu approached the distressed seishi. he began quietly, the only way to get Takiko-san out of there is to get Miboshi as far away from here as possible. Once he is far enough away, the spell will where off and she will be freed. As he talked, nobody asked how these things, although most of them wondered. But we have to hurry. She probably can't breath because of that ice. As Hikitsu softly spoke to him, Tomite stopped clawing at the ice that covered his beloved miko and listened to him, trying to get a hold of himself. Then, the two seishi stood, and faced Miboshi along with the rest of their friends.  
  
Before long, the fight had begun. Uniyami amazed everyone by showing surprising speed for someone her age and hacking away at the demons with her staff. Before long, like Tomite, the seishi that hadn't seen her fight had deduced that the staff was a weapon, not something that she needed to walk. Hatsui showed that he was a master of hand-to-hand combat and punched and kicked through anything that got in his way while Iname stayed out of the way and put one of his magical shields around anyone who looked like they might be in trouble. Tomite had managed to scramble up a tree and was shooting any demons that he could from above while Hikitsu's ice snakes froze everything in their range.  
  
The Genbu Seishi worked quickly, moving towards Miboshi the entire time. The fight had become a race. A race against time. If they didn't defeat Miboshi soon it could mean Takiko's life! As the seishi defeated more and more of the demons, they advanced on Miboshi, forcing him farther and farther away from the clearing where their miko remand frozen.  
  
Miboshi wasn't a stupid man. He may of been ale to defeat two of the Genbu Seishi when they where scared by the disappearance of their companion and unready to face him, but he couldn't win against five of the Genbu Seishi when they where ready to fight him and prepared to kill him so that they could save their precious miko. He knew that if he didn't run, they would kill him. And their stupid, weak, little miko was probably already dead. And if she was alive... _If_ she was alive then she was most likely beyond their, or anyone's, help. He smirked at that thought, and ran...  
  
The seishi watched as their foe ran deep into the forest. Then, they turned and ran back to the clearing where their miko was frozen. Once there, they watched as she thawed. The process was painfully slow, but at last she was free of the ice that had surrounded her. Once all the ice was melted into a puddle of cold water around her, Takiko fell forward and Tomite scrambled to catch her. _She's so cold!'_ he thought. He hugged her closer to him, trying desperately to make her warmer, hoping beyond hope that she was still alive.  
  
Takiko! Takiko! Good Genbu, open your eyes, Takiko! He yelled. She was fine. She _had_ to be fine. Any moment she would open her eyes and she would sit up in his arms and laugh at him for being so scared. She would say that he was an idiot for falling for her joke. She would say that she was fine. Because she _had_ to be fine. She was the Genbu no Miko, the girl of legends who would save Hokkan from sure destruction. Genbu wouldn't let her die. He couldn't let her die.  
  
The others watched at Tomite held Takiko tightly, silently hoping, like Tomite, that she would wake up. Finally, Hatsui silently walked over to them. Slowly, he squatted, and felt for a pulse. Then. he put his ear close to her slightly open mouth and listened carefully to see if she was breathing.  
  
Nobody said anything while he worked. Out of all of them, Hatsui knew the most about medicine and healing. After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only a few seconds, he pulled his head away from her mouth with a frown on his face.  
  
S-she's okay, right?Inami asked slowly.  
  
She's alive... But barely... He answered.  
  
Y-you can help her, can't you?! Tomite asked, his loud voice echoing all around them. Hatsui looked at the boy who was holding the miko sadly. He knew that what he was about to say would hurt Tomite. Perhaps even devastate him. But, sadly, it was true and he had to tell him.  
  
Tomite asked again, desperation filling his voice and showing on all of his features. _He's just a boy. He's only 16. He shouldn't have to go through all this,_ Thought Hatsui regretfully, wishing that he didn't have to say it.  
  
He finally said in a quiet voice. I can't. My power as one of the Genbu Seishi can only heal physical wounds, not things like this. Tomite looked shocked. He looked down at Takiko's still face in his arms and thought, _She looks like she's only sleeping. But... She's dying in my arms and there's nothing I can do about it._ A since on helplessness and dread filled him and he slowly caressed Takiko's cold cheek.  
  
We need to get her a doctor, Hatsui said. He looked at Hikitsu. Do you know where the nearest village or town is? He asked. Hikitsu nodded and replied, Uruki's home village isn't very far. It's only a few miles. Tomite and I have been there. Tomite nodded miserably and mounted his horse, pulling the still unconscious Takiko up in front of him. The others followed suite and also mounted after quickly getting all their things together. Then, they set off.  
  
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**Takiko's POV**  
  
I slowly got up and looked around. I was in a strange place. A thick fog was everywhere around me, pressing down onto me and making me feel confined although I knew I wasn't. Also, because of the fog, I couldn't see anything around me. But the strangest thing was that I had a extremely strange feeling that I wasn't even on Earth anymore. I wasn't in either world, that much I could tell. But where was I? Determined to find out, I slowly began to make my way through the fog.  
  
I don't know how long i walked. I had no way to keep track of the time and I never seemed to get tired. After a while of nothing but that stupidly thick fog, I began to wonder if I was just going around in circles. At that, I began to run and call out the names of my seishi, hoping to find them. They could help me. They would know the way out of this place.  
  
Suddenly, the fog in front of me parted and I could see. It almost seemed magical. But... There was no such thing as magic... Right? In front of me, there was small gap in the ground. I looked down but couldn't see the bottom. All that was there was darkness. Then, I noticed that the gap was slowly growing smaller. I scrambled away from it, afraid. That was when I saw what was on the other side of the gap.  
  
There was a beautiful garden with lush green grass and the prettiest flowers and other plants that I'd ever seen. The garden seemed to stretch forever. Or at least, _I_ couldn't see an end to it. And I could see people over there. They where walking or floating in the garden. Some where tending the plants, others where laughing or playing. Some where just simply talking with each other. But the strangest part was that I knew many of the people. I could see my mother, Yoshie Okuda, who had died in a car accident a few years ago. And I could see Kuro standing with a girl who had long black hair that was pulled back in a braid.She had pale skin that was as white as the snow and a long graceful neck. She wore a simple dress looked elegant and her curvy form and she had big hazel eyes that were framed by long eyelashes. _Could that be... Yind...'_ I thought. The girl certainly fitted Inami's description of Kuro's wife. My eyes moved to the baby that the girl was holding. _And is that... Their son?'_ I wondered.  
  
I moved to join them in that wonderful garden and was about to jump lightly over the small gap when something stopped me.  
  
_Stop Takiko!_ Was that my father's voice? But... But it couldn't be. I turned and saw another opening in the fog. But this one I couldn't go into, even if I tried. Inside it, I saw my father. He was sitting over the book that I had been sucked into, --what was it called? Oh yes-- the S_hi Ji Ten Chi Sho___. _Don't go to that place! If you do, you'll die!_ He yelled, looking down at the book.  
  
I'll... die? I whispered, more to myself than to him.  
  
Yes! So you can't go there! You just can't!  
  
But...' I looked back at the garden. Maybe... Maybe dying won't be so bad... Then... Then I'll be with Mother... Then... I'll never feel sad or hurt again...  
  
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_~End of Chapter 25~_  
  
If I don't get the next chapter out soon, it's because one of my best friends is in the hospital. I don't think that it'll delay any updates, but if it dose, that's why. Please review. More coming soon. (hopefully)


	26. Fleeing From Death

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV  
  
** _"No! Don't do it Takiko! You don't belong there!"_ Einosuke Okuda yelled to his precious daughter, silently praying to any god listening that she wouldn't go into that garden.  
  
"B-but... Mother... Mother is there..." Takiko whispered, more to herself than to her father. Something was pulling her towards the strange garden, she didn't know what. Slowly, cautiously, she took a small step towards it. Her body seemed to move on it's own as she put one foot in front of the other, moving slowly but surely towards the garden.  
  
_"Takiko! STOP!"_ She did as her father asked, hesitantly. _"Don't go there. Can't you see? So many people will be hurt if you die! Think about it. Me... Your friends at school... Suzuno... Those people in that stupid book... We'll all care if you die! You can't... You can't go over there. Because if you do... I'll lose you forever!"_  
  
Takiko looked back at the break in the where she could see her father. Slowly, right before her eyes, the image began to fade, as did her father's voice.  
  
"No! Father! Come back!" She cried, frightened. Instead, a new image appeared. At first, the image was blurry and she couldn't make out anything in it. Then, it cleared and and an image of Suzuno appeared. She was writing in her diary and as she wrote, she murmured what she was writing to herself so quietly that Takiko could barely hear her.  
  
_"--iko's been out of school for a week now. I'm worried. How long is her cold going to last, anyway? And her father won't even let me see her. He's hiding something. He thinks that I don't notice, but I do. I'm--"_ The image faded and was replaced by a new one. She was lying on a soft bed and Tomite was on his knees bedside her, holding her hand. He looked tired, like he hadn't slept for several days. He was... praying? But... why? Why would Tomite be praying? Takiko moved closer to the picture and listened closely, trying to hear what he was murmuring. He was praying for her! He was praying to Genbu for her to be all right! But... She felt fine. Better than she had in a long time. Her eyes fell to herself lying stiffly on the bed beside Tomite. She looked as if she was sleeping._ 'But... But I'm awake... Aren't I?'_ She thought, even more scared than she had been before.  
  
T-T-Tomite... Tomite, what's going on? She asked him, hoping that he would answer like her father had. But he didn't. It was like he hadn't even heard her. _But he had to of heard me, right? My father did, so why isn't Tomite?'_  
  
"W-Wh-What am I going g to _do_?" She asked herself in a quivering voice. But before she could get any answers, the image faded again. The images began to move faster now.  
  
Hikitsu and Uruki's grandfather having a worried whisper conference.  
  
The emperor talking to some of his advisors about the latest movements of the Kutou army.  
  
Namame pacing in front of a closed door muttering about how he wished that she and the other members of the Genbu Seishi would get back soon.  
  
Iname and Hatsui standing outside that room that she had seen Tomite in earlier; peering in worriedly.  
  
Umiyame was in the forest that Takiko realized was close to Uruki's home village, hitting a dummy of Miboshi over and over again with her staff, sweat dripping down her neck and back, soaking her worn clothes.  
  
She didn't know how long she sat there, watching the images fly by. When they stopped, the space that they had been in was filled with fog once again. But at least she knew knew one thing. She wanted to go home! Whether it be to her world or to the book world, for both had become her home. She wanted to_ live_. Takiko stood and ran into the thick fog, trying to get away from the garden. But as she ran, the garden almost seemed to follow her. The more she ran, the closer it got. She didn't know it, but the closer the garden got to her, the closer she got to death. Suddenly, she felt warmth and strength fill her. It was almost as if Tomite was there with her, helping her flee from death...  
  
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**Tomite's POV  
  
** Takiko was dying. Even I could tell that. So I did the only thing that I could do to help her. I leaned over her and kissed her soft lips, giving her my chi. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open. I quickly pulled back, blushing, but relieved that it had worked. I had been worried that it wouldn't. Or worse that it would make everything worse.  
  
"T-T-Tomite?" She stuttered. I hugged her tightly, not wanting to ever let her go. I couldn't believe that I had almost lost her. Suddenly, I felt a bit of wetness on my shirt and realized that Takiko was shaking in my arms. I pulled back, surprised, and saw that she was crying.  
  
"Takiko! What's wrong?" I asked, wordily.  
  
I... It's just... I was just so scared!" The tears began to stream down her face once again, like a small river or stream.  
  
"What is it? What scared you?" I asked, but she was distressed to answer me. So instead of pressing her for answers, I just hugged her and kissed her gently, trying to show her that it was all right and that she wouldn't be hurt or scared again as long as she was with me.  
  
Finally, she calmed down a bit and fell asleep in my arms. I slowly laid her back onto her bed, tucking her in. Then, I left the room, for the first time since she had gotten ill.  
  
Once I was outside that room, I found Iname and Hatsui standing by the door. "How is she?" Asked Hatsui.  
  
"Better... I think..." I replied after a bit of hesitation.  
  
"Really!" Inami cried, a huge smile lighting up his face.  
  
"Yes... She woke up earlier, and she's not rolling around in her sleep as much as she was earlier. Her temperature had gone down too." I didn't tell them the strange things that she had said or how scared she had been when she woke up. If I did, they would ask questions that I didn't know the answers to. Maybe I would tell Hikitsu. He never asked uncomfortable questions. It was one of the reasons I liked him. Also, he knew a lot more about woman than me. I absently wondered if Sora had ever acted strange like Takiko had been when she was alive. Maybe it was something only girls from other worlds did.  
  
I didn't know much about girls. I'd never had any reason to pay attention to them. Now, I wish that I had. Then maybe I'd know what was wrong with Takiko. Or at least how to make her feel better. The strange way that she had acted when she had awaken up had scared me. I sighed. Yes... I'd have to talk to Hikitsu, for more reasons than one. But first, I was going to bed. I hadn't slept at all since Takiko got sick, and now that she was better, I was dead on my feet. I half walked, half crawled, into my bed and had drifted off into a dreamless sleep before my head had even hit the pillow...  
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_~End of Chapter 26~  
  
_This is a really short chapter, isn't it. Oh well. Hm... I suppose that this chapter is a little confusing. I guess that you deserve some explanations. The garden symbolizes heaven. The thing about that garden following Takiko was basically that she was getting closer to death, or heaven. When she was seeing the images in the fog, she was seeing what was really happening because the place that she was in was sort of between dimensions. Her body was really on Earth (that's was what she saw in the image with Tomite), but her soul was in the place in between Earth and heaven. When she felt all that warmth was when Tomite was giving her his chi. Also, the reason that she could talk to her dad and no one else was because she would say something and her father would read what she said in the book. Then, she would hear what he was saying, after all, she heard what all the people in the images were saying.  
  
Hm... I didn't explain it very well, did I? Sorry. It's a pretty confusing chapter. I tried to make things as clear as possible in the chapter. Anyway, please review. More coming soon!


	27. The Return to the Capital

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
A/N: This chapter has to do with the thing that happened at the end of chapter 20. I had a cliff hanger that I never tied up and showed the ending to. Well, it's taken seven chapters, but this is what happened. If any of you forgot what happened all the way back in the 20th chapter, then I suggest that you reread it.  
  
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**Narrator's POV  
  
** Look! There's the capital! Where almost there! Cried Takiko happily. The had set off from Uruki's village as soon as Takiko had gotten well. After she had woken up, she'd had a speedy recovery, much to everyone's relief. Nobody but Tomite and Hikitsu knew how she had recovered so quickly, although Umiyame suspected. Tomite smiled, happy that she was happy and well. He kicked his horse into a canter and began to ride towards the capital. Soon, the others followed suit and they were all cantering to the capitals gates, happy to be back. They were let into the capital without much trouble once the guards realized that they there the Genbu no Miko and five of the Genbu Seishi.  
  
They had only been inside the gates for a few seconds when a horse came galloping up to them. Takiko recognized the rider on the horse as soon as he was close enough for her to see his long blue hair flying in the wind as he hurried up to them.  
  
She cried. By then, he had made it to them and had brought his horse to a stop.  
  
Thank Genbu your back! Hurry! You must come with me to the palace. He turned towards Hikitsu. You especially must come. The others looked at each other, puzzled at why Namame could be so frantic. Quickly, they rode up to the palace...  
  
I have to warn you, this may be a bit of a shock, Namame told them as they walked though one of the many passages of the palace. They had gotten there about a half hour ago and Namame still hadn't mentioned what he was so worried about. He had been introduced to Umiyame, but she still hadn't seen the emperor. Pretty much all that they had done was settle in before Namame insisted on showing them what had happened. Now, the six seishi (Uruki was not present) and the miko stood in front of a closed door. Takiko vaguely recognized it from her as the door that she had seen Namame pacing in front of. He slowly opened the door and led them into the dark room.  
  
Once their eyes had adjusted to the gloom, they could see that they where in a plain room. There was barely anything in it except a small desk, a bed in the corner, and a chair by the bed. They could see that someone was lying on the bed. Hikitsu walked over to the bed and looked down onto it to see who was lying there. What he saw made his heart stop beating for almost a full minute. On the bed, with dry blood covering her chest, lay...  
  
Uruki.  
  
Takiko and the others walked up behind Hikitsu, trying to get a better look at the bed. Takiko covered her mouth with her hands and buried her face in Tomite's shirt. Tomite stared dumbly at the girl lying on the bed and then turned his head away, not wanting to believe what he saw. Iname and Hatsui, fearing that she was dead, left the room to get control of their emotions without having others witness their humiliation. Even Umiyame looked shaken, although she had never known the girl. She had heard many stories from Takiko about her and how strong she was.  
  
Hikitsu asked Namame, trying to hide his emotions and failing. How did this happen?!  
  
It was a few days after you left the capital, started Namame. Kutou attacked us in force. The emperor decided to go out and fight alongside his people. Uruki... Uruki was guarding him, making sure that no harm could come to him. One of the Kutou archers was up in a tree. I saw him and yelled out a warning to Heika-sama, but he didn't hear me... Uruki did. She... He stopped, trying not to cry at the memory. She jumped in front of the arrow to protect Heika-sama. But... While most people would have just stopped and died right there, she didn't. She didn't even faint. She didn't pass out until she was sure that the emperor was safe and inside of the palace. Nobody could get her to stop. She... I tried... but she... she... Now everyone could see that he wanted to cry, but wouldn't let himself in their presence.  
  
It's okay, Namame. It was Umiyame who spoke. We understand. You don't have to finish your story. I think we basically understand what happened. And with that, she led him out of the room, an old wrinkled hand on one of his shoulders. She did it for a few reasons. She knew what it felt like to want to cry more than anything, but not be able to or not be able to let yourself. Once he was outside, he could cry in peace. Also, she knew that Iname and Hatsui would need to know the story because they still hadn't come back into the dark room after they had left to get a hold of their feelings when they saw Uruki. Plus, she felt sorry for the boy. He'd had to witness all of that and then tell them. It must have been horrible, and Umiyame knew what it was like to have to go through horrible things.  
  
In the room, Tomite left, bringing Takiko with him. The girl was already distressed about her , and this was just making her more distressed. He wanted to have a chance to calm her down. This left Hikitsu alone with the girl. he sat by her bed and held her hand, wondering if she was still alive.  
  
She's alive, if that's what your wondering. But... Nobody knows how long that will last. Hikitsu turned around quickly, surprised by the voice in the door way. It was Namame. He had gotten a hold of himself surprisingly quickly. Namame walked over to him and stood by his shoulder. Sometimes, she would call out your name in her sleep. Not anyone else's name. Just yours. Hikitsu was surprised by this and looked at Uruki's still face. There was a long pause in witch no one said anything. Then, Namame spoke again.  
  
You love her, don't you. Hikitsu didn't turn this time, although if he had allowed his face to show anything, it would show how shocked he felt. _H-H-How did he know?!' _he thought, but he only said, What makes you say that? Namame smiled a bit.  
  
Don't you remember? My seishi power is sensing emotions. I can your love for her.  
  
Oh... Then, yes. I do, Hikitsu answered, still not looking at him. He wondered how long Namame had known about his feelings for Uruki. How long had _he_ known about his feelings for Uruki, anyway? He guessed that the knowledge had just come gradually.  
  
Hikitsu sat there for a long time, lost in his thoughts. He didn't even notice when Namame left him there to think. He didn't notice anything as he thought about the girl on the bed in front of him...  
  
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**Hikitsu's POV  
  
** It had been three days since we had gotten back to the capital. Three horrible days. Hatsui had treated Uruki's physical wounds, but had found that the arrow that she had been hit with was poisoned. Unfortunately, poison was one of the many things that he couldn't heal. I had offered to watch her and make sure that nothing happened to her and that she didn't get worse.  
  
I had not been frightened many times in my life, but now I was. I was afraid that Uruki would die before I even got to tell her my feelings. Slowly, I took her hand._ She's so cold...'_ I thought. Her hand felt like ice. Being that cold couldn't be a good thing. Suddenly, Uruki began to breath harder and faster, like she was having trouble breathing at a normal pace.  
  
I cried worriedly. I wasn't a doctor. I didn't know what to do when things like this happened. I didn't even know what was happening. Then, with a jolt, she stopped. She just... stopped. Her chest no longer struggled to rise and fall as she took breaths. For she was no longer breathing. Desperately, I scrambled to find a pulse. As I felt her wrist, I felt the small beat that meant she was alive. But it was fading quickly. She was dying! If I didn't do something immediately, she would die. But... I didn't know what to do. I was afraid that if I did something, it would just make everything worse. But... I was even more afraid of just doing nothing as she died. Of not trying to save her at all.  
  
I called out into the darkness of the room. Come here! NOW! I don't know why I did. Surely he wouldn't come and heed this small cry for help. Surely...  
  
Suddenly, the previously dark room was filled with a bright green light and... and he was there. The great tortoise god of whom was standing before me in that very room. Except... We weren't in the room anymore. I had a strange feeling that we weren't even on Earth. Instead, we where in a sort of sphere type thing of green light.  
**  
You called me, Chen Entato. Hikitsu of the Genbu Seishi. Protector of the Genbu no Miko. What do you want?**  
  
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~End of Chapter 27~  
  
Yay! I'm a very happy person right now! My friend just got out of the hospital! I'm so relived that she's okay. Anyway, now you all know what happened to Uruki. And we also have our first appearance of the god. Yippee! And you all thought that his first appearance would be at the summoning. Nope. Here he is. But why is he here? What will he do? Will he do what Hikitsu wants? To find out, read the next chapter witch will be coming soon. Also, review. I'm going for a personal record for the most reviews I've ever had. (My record is 22) Thanks!


	28. Genbu

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV  
  
You called me, Chen Entato. Hikitsu of the Genbu Seishi. Protector of the Genbu no Miko. What do you want?** Genbu said in a big, powerful voice that was both wonderful and horrible at the same time to Hikitsu. His voice almost sounded like the harsh winds of a blizzard, blowing through the opening in a small cave, threatening those inside. Or like a small flower, peaking through the snow. A ray of sunshine of a cold day.  
  
Although most people would have cowered under the gaze of the mighty god, Hikitsu didn't falter. He was afraid, but he had spent years learning to control his emotions. He knew what the answer to the gods question was. He knew what he had to say. _But what if Genbu doesn't do what you want? He's a god, and you're just a human. How do you know that he'll grant your wish?' _asked a small part of him. _I don't.' _Hikitsu told that part. _But I have to try anyway...'  
_  
Genbu... I have called you here for a simple reason. Please, I ask you, please heal Uruki. If you must, then you may take my life in exchange for hers. But... But please, Genbu. Spare her. Genbu's high eyebrows raised several notches.  
  
** Why do you ask this of me, my son? **He inquired. To many, to might have seemed strange that he used the phrase, my son, but both the god and the human understood it. In many ways, Hikitsu was Genbu's son. Genbu had created him, although he hadn't given birth to him. All of the Genbu Seishi were Genbu's sons' and . Just as all the Genbu Seishi were , in a way. They all shared the same destiny, to protect the priestess of Genbu, and to be her warriors that help her summon Genbu.  
  
Hikitsu looked down at his bare feet. Because if something happened to her, I don't know what I'd do. Because I think that I'd go insane, like I almost did when Sora died. Because... He looked back up and met Genbu's green eyes. And Genbu could see that his eyes burning with the fire of purpose and belief in what he was about to say. Because I love her. Because I love her more than anything on this Earth, and because I would rather die than see her hurt. Genbu smiled a bit. It was the answer that he'd been hoping to hear. He had often looked through the dimensions and watched his seishi. More than anything, he wanted them to be happy. He wanted them to find a purpose in life. Not just protecting the Genbu no Miko. That was their destiny. He wanted them to find something that they wanted to do with their life. A purpose other than their destiny. After all, they where his . And parents always want their children to be happy, don't they?  
  
** Very well... I will grant your wish.** Hikitsu sighed in relief.  
  
Thank you! He said in a relived voice. Then, he lowered his eyes once more. Then... Then in exchange for her life, you may kill me. Hikitsu automatically expected the god to kill him. Earlier, he had said that in exchange for Uruki's life, Genbu could kill him.  
  
** Do you want to die, Chen Entato?** The question surprised Hikitsu.  
  
W-well, no. But I'm willing to die for her life. And earlier I said that you could kill me in exchange for her life... he answered truthfully.  
  
** Yes... You said that I _could_ kill you. Not that I _had_ to. And yet, now you are saying that you are ready for me to take your life. Did I say that I was going to kill you in exchange for her life, Chen Entato?  
  
** W-w-well, no but... but I just assumed-  
  
** Ah... So you assumed that I was going to kill you. Well, now. I have a choice, don't I? I can either do as you assumed', or I can let you live.** The god interrupted. Hikitsu stared. _Does he mean that he might let me live and save Uruki?!'_ He had never thought that the god might let him live. **Now... What do you think I should do?** The god asked.  
  
Um... Er... Hikitsu didn't know what to say. He didn't want to seem greedy or to attached to his life by saying that he thought that he should let him live. But... He really wanted to live. The god smiled, knowing what he was thinking. (Hey! He's a god! So he knows these things. Don't ask me how!)  
  
** Very well... Good bye, Chen Entato. Hikitsu of the Genbu Seishi. Protector of the Genbu no Miko... Goodbye, my son. Until we meet again...  
  
** And with that, the god slowly faded into nothingness. Hikitsu, found himself back in the room with Uruki lying on the bed beside him. But now she was no longer struggling to breath and taking irregular, forced breaths. She was breathing normally, and when Hikitsu felt her wrist for a pulse, it was there, beating regularly. He sighed in relief and watched her sleeping face, with a small smile turing the corners on his mouth upward...  
  
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**Uruki's POV  
  
** Slowly, oh so slowly, I opened my eyes. They felt like a heavy bricks against my eyes. My entire body ached. I had never hurt so much in my life. Slowly I looked around. I was in a dark, plain room. There weren't many things in it.  
  
You're awake. Thank Genbu, said a relived voice that sounded strangely familiar from the chair beside me. I turned to see who it was and saw Hikitsu sitting beside me. But... he was gone, wasn't he. He had gone to find the other seishi with Takiko, Tomite, Iname and Hatsui. Right?  
  
H-Hikitsu? What are you doing here? I asked in a small voice. It hurt to much to talk any louder.  
  
We came back from our journey yesterday. We found the last seishi. She's an old woman. And she's... um... a bit weird. But now Takiko-san can summon Genbu as soon as you're better.  
  
But... I feel fine, I told him.  
  
You do?! He didn't seem to believe me.  
  
Well... if you don't count the aching pain all over my body, yes. When I said that, I could have sworn that I saw the corners of his mouth twitch upward, but it might have just been my imagination or a trick of the light.  
  
Well then... If your feeling so fine, I'll just go get Hatsui. He'll know if your okay. He stood to leave.  
  
Maybe I wouldn't have done it if I weren't so tired. If it didn't feel like my eyelids where going to fall at any moment despite my efforts to keep them open. Perhaps if my mind hadn't been so clouded over... it doesn't matter. I could make up a million excuses. But that doesn't validate what I did. Slowly, I reached out a shaking hand and grasped the back of his retreating shirt.  
  
Don't go.... Please... Stay with me.... Just until I fall asleep... I begged him. When my hand had touched his shirt, he had frozen. Now he looked slowly around at me and his gray eyes (eye?) met my brown ones.  
  
Very well... But only until you fall asleep, he said and sat back down in the chair beside the bed. Him doing this brought back one of my most precious memories of when I was still a small child. I was sick and my grandfather stayed with me, just as Hikitsu was doing now.  
  


~*~  


_  
Bai-Ling, I'm going to get a doctor. He'll make you feel better.  
  
No.... I don't want you to leave, grandfather. Please don't leave me here all alone. I'll be scared.  
  
Nonsense. You're a big girl, aren't you. Your going to grow up and be one of the strongest of the great Genbu Seishi so that you can protect the Genbu no Miko, right?  
  
But... But I'm scared... I don't feel brave at all. If I have to always be brave... Then maybe I don't want to be one of the Genbu Seishi... I just don't want to be alone. Please... Just wait until I'm asleep...  
  
*sigh* Very well. I'll stay  
  
_

~*~  


  
I felt content with Hikitsu there, looking after me, just as I had with my grandfather when I was little. I didn't even care if I seemed like I was acting like a child to him, like I normally would have. I would always love him, no matter what he thought of me. And at that moment, the thing that I wanted the most was for him to be there with me. For him not to leave. For him to never leave. And with that thought, I let my heavy eyelids close and I drifted off into the lands of dreams.  
  
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_~End of Chapter 28~_  
  
Strangely enough, I like this chapter. It's not as bad as most of my other chapters. Still, I suppose that the end was a bit cheesy. I don't know what came over me when I was writing it. I do like the part with the god though. I thought that I did Genbu well. Do you? Anyway, please review. More coming soon.


	29. Dashed Hopes

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV  
  
** Hikitsu waited until Uruki closed her eyes and her breathing became normal. He then stood and went to go get Hatsui.  
  
he called when he got to the seishi's door. Uruki-san woke up. Hatsui was soon in Uruki's room sitting the same chair that Hikitsu had been in a few minutes earlier checking her over.  
  
Why didn't you call me when she was awake? He asked. I wanted to talk to her.  
  
Um... She... Um... Hikitsu blushed a bit, but likely Hatsui couldn't tell because of the dark room. She asked me not to go... Even through the gloom, Hikitsu could see Hatsui's eyebrows shoot up as he considered what he had said.  
  
So... You did?  
  
Um... Yes...  
  
That's... interesting... Yes. Very interesting... Soon after that, he finished examining Uruki and stood up. She seems to be fine. There's no sign that she was ever hurt, he said, baffled by his findings. It just doesn't make any sense. Just earlier today, it looked like she was going to die. Hikitsu said nothing. He thought that it was probably better to keep his mouth shut about his little chat with Genbu. _I suppose that when Genbu does work for us mortals, he does it well...'_ he thought as Hatsui left her room, still muttering to himself about how strange it was. Then, guessing that he was allowed to stop watching over Uruki because she was well again, he left the room and went into his room. He knew that very soon, all the rest of the seishi would know about Uruki's sudden recovery and be bombarding him with questions about what happened. He had to think of a good lie before then...  
  
The next morning, just like Hikitsu had predicted, all of the other seishi knew that Uruki was well. He suspected that everyone in the palace knew. He was, once again, like he had predicted, bombarded with questions about it throughout the entire day. Each time he was asked, he said the same thing.  
  
I'm not really sure. She suddenly started to have trouble breathing, (Well, this part was true) and she began to glow with a strange green light. It was almost like Genbu himself was visiting her to helping her. Then, somehow, she was healed.  
  
People in the city were calling it a miracle, and Hikitsu had to agree with them, although not for the same reasons. He had called out to a god, just like he had so many times in the past with no results. And the god had come. But even more miraculously, he was alive to remember it. Maybe, someday, he would tell the others the truth, but not then. The only person who he told what had really happened was Uruki. He felt that she, at least, had a right to know. But he begged her not to tell anyone else. To his relief, she told him that she wouldn't. The only thing that he didn't tell her was how he had told Genbu about how he felt about her. That remained his own private secret.  
  
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**Uruki's POV  
  
** Now that we have all of the Genbu Seishi and the Genbu no Miko, we must begin to prepare for the summoning of Genbu, the emperor told us. It was a few days after I had gotten up and we where all assembled in the thrown room sitting at a long table. By I meant all of the other seishi as well as Takiko, all of Heika-sama advisors and other important people from all over our frozen country. Our cold, miserable, country, that even some of it's occupants hated. With it's freezing wind and snow that could freeze you in a matter of seconds. I had to wonder why in the world Kutou would want to take us over anyway. Was it just for our land? We did have quite a bit of land, for all that our army was small. Or perhaps it was for our natural resources. There _were_ many, but we hadn't figured out for to mine all of them yet. Could they have found out how to get at them? Or perhaps, and this seemed like the most likely reason to me, they didn't even have a reason and just wanted to kill us all.  
  
But... Heika-sama, do you know what we must do to summon Genbu? Asked one of the many people in the room, I'm not sure who. Heika-sama smiled a bit. Then, he turned to Takiko.  
  
Takiko-sama, do you remember that scroll that I gave you when you first came here with Tomite? He asked my miko. She thought a bit and the said, Do you mean that old, tattered green one that looked like it was falling apart?  
  
Yes. That's the one. Do you still have it?  
  
Of course. It's in my chamber. Why? She asked curiously.  
  
Will you get it? She hesitated, as if she would rather stay there and make her answer her question, but soon left. If a few minutes, she was back and carrying a tattered green scroll. I looked at it, puzzled. What could Heika-sama want with such an old scroll. It looked as if someone handled it, it would rip.  
  
Takiko handed the scroll to Heika-sama and took her seat. He opened it (surprisingly, it didn't rip) and laid it out on the table for all to see.  
  
All the instructions for setting up the ceremony is in here. It's complicated, but with the right equipment, it should be easy enough, he said. Once everything is ready, it tells us how to purify the Genbu no Miko- he nodded to Takiko -and go about the summoning. After that, we don't know what to do, but I'm sure that Genbu will tell Takiko how to make her wishes. And if he doesn't... then we'll deiced what to do then... The rest of us nodded in understanding. We discussed, or argued about, however you want to think of it, the ceremony for a while longer and Heika-sama even went so far as to read what the scroll said about preparing for the ceremony out loud to us. It was so detailed that just reading the first half took the better part of an hour. But we needed to know these things. The next morning, we would begin to prepare to summon Genbu. It felt... strange, I suppose. That would be the only feeling to describe how I felt right then. We had gone through so much, and now it was almost over.  
  
Slowly, once we where done, I stood up and stretched my cramped legs. I had been sitting down to long. _I should go on a walk in the gardens to get these cramps out of my legs. If I don't, I'll never get to sleep because of the pain,'_ I thought as I stepped outside and began to make my way towards the gardens. It would also give me a chance to sort out my feelings.  
  
This nightmare of hell was about to end. Once Takiko had summoned Genbu, I could go back to my village. So why didn't I feel happy? In fact, I had a horrible feeling in my gut that something awful was going to happen. I shivered, and not because of the cruel wind outside. I didn't like that thought. Not at all. Nothing could happen. Not now. Not when things were finally falling into place. Not when this entire ordeal was almost finished. I took a deep breath, trying to clear my thoughts with the sweet scent of the flowers growing in the garden. I had always like flowers...  
  
I don't know how long I walked through the gardens. Eventually, my feet led me back to the door and I walked back inside the palace. I began to walk back to my room so that I could go to sleep, when it happened. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hikitsu kissing another girl in a room that had the door open. I stopped and simply stared. I just couldn't tear my eyes away.  
  
I asked in a small voice. He pushed back from the girl, in what seemed like an almost forceful way, and towards me to see who had spoken.  
  
  
  
I-I-I'm sorry! I stuttered quickly turing away. I-I didn't m-mean to in-intrude. I... I'll just l-leave now. I quickly ran off.  
  
Uruki! Wait! I can explain! I heard Hikitsu yell after me. But I didn't wait. I didn't want to see him. Tears ran down my cheeks, blinding me. But I didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. How could I think that a great guy like Hikitsu wouldn't be taken? Of course he was. He probably wouldn't was a stupid little girl like me. I stopped and leaned against one of the many thick polls that heaps the palace up, unable to run anymore, sobs racking my body. _Why? Why, Genbu? Why couldn't you have just let me die. I... I want to die. Maybe... Maybe I should just commit suicide... Maybe...'_ I thought. _But no... I can't. I can't die yet. Once Genbu is called... Yes... Once Takiko had summoned Genbu. Then... Then I'll end all of this... I'll end all of this pain...'_ Before, I hadn't realized how tired I was. I tried to stand so that I could go back to my rooms, but found that I could not. Finally, I curled up in the hall, and fell asleep with my tears still streaming down my face...  
  
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~End of Chapter 29~  
  
Hm... This was mostly a pointless chapter, wasn't it. But I got a bit of a cliff hanger at the end, didn't I? Anyway, **PLEEEEEEEEEASE** REVIEW!!! I haven't gotten a review since chapter 23! I mean, really. If you read this fic, review. If you like it, then I want to know. If you hate it, then tell me why. Most stories about the Genbu Seishi get hundreds (literally) of reviews, but mines only gotten 22. That's not even one per chapter! Personally, I feel like that's pathetic, and it makes me feel pathetic. And I don't like feeling bad. So please make me feel good and be a nice little person and review. Thanks! More coming soon.  
  
((oh yeah and beta note?? She really is an awesome writer! And I personally know how tough it is to write such a long story with little reviews...mine doesn't have many...so please be a kind heart and review her story for the love of Seiryu!))


	30. Umiyame's Past

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV  
  
** It was Umiyame who found Uruki sleeping on the floor in the hall by one of the big pillars, tears still wet on her cheeks. She chuckled and knelt by the girl, wondering what she was doing there. _It isn't healthy for her to be sleeping out here... I should wake her up...'_ She thought, all sorts of wicked ways to wake her up running through her mind. Unfortunately, she didn't have the materials for most of those ways and was to lazy to go get them. _Oh well. I can still use this for blackmail. I doubt that she wants anyone else to know that she was sleeping out here... Not to mention that she was crying.'_ From the little bit that she knew about Uruki, she knew that the girl would hate to let anyone else know that she had shown any sign of weakness.  
  
The old woman began to shake Uruki roughly to wake her up. Unfortunately, this didn't work. Fortunately, Uruki rolled over and hit her head on the pillar that she had been sleeping by very hard.  
  
She yelled in anger, frustration and pain, both mentally and physically, while she held her head where she had hit it. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO DO!? KILL ME?! Uruki was not in a good mood, and Umiyame could tell.  
  
My, my. Such colorful language. And that's hardly a nice way to treat you elders. You should have more respect. Umiyame said. Here, I'll teach you a little secret. I do not _try_ to kill people. I kill them. If I had been _trying_ to kill you, you would be dead. Uruki frowned at her. She could have sworn that she heard sarcasm in the old woman voice. Was she teasing her? And who was she anyway? (This is Uruki's first time seeing Umiyame. Umiyame only knew who Uruki is because she saw her when she was sick.) Not to mention that she had basically said that she had killed people before. Was she dangerous? The reasonable part of her said that she had no reason to suspect this old woman of anything, but she ignored it. She was in no mood to be reasonable. Not with the memory of Hikitsu kissing that other girl still in her mind. That older, prettier girl. That girl who was obviously much better than her. _It's not fair. It's just not fair,'_ her mind screamed, but in her heart, she knew it was. Hikitsu had the right to choose anyone that he wanted. Of course, this didn't help her mood very much.  
  
Who are you anyway? And why are you here? What business do you have with me? Are you a Kutou spy, here to disrupt the ceremony?! If you are, I'll kill you myself! You'll never get to Takiko-san! Uruki accused. Umiyame just chuckled.  
  
Well... So many questions. Hm... Which one should I answer first... Hm... Well... I'm not a Kutou spy. And I'm not here to disrupt the ceremony. Also, I don't think that you could kill me, even if you tried. It's not like you have your sword. Uruki looked around her and realized that Umiyame was right. Her sword was in her room.  
  
Um... But... Who are you? And why are you here? She asked, realizing that those where only questions that she hadn't answered.  
  
Well... My name is Mishcorme, but you may call me Umiyame of the Genbu Seishi, she said as her symbol began to glow brightly on her forehead. As for why I'm here, I have come to serve the Genbu no Miko. _And to try to repent for my sins,' _Umiyame added silently to herself. Uruki stared at her.  
  
You're one of the Genbu Seishi?!  
  
Yes. What about it?  
  
But... But you're _old_.  
  
I do not see how my age contributes to this conversation. For that matter, _you're_ young.  
  
But... What's your seishi power?  
  
Why... Turning invisible, of course. Would you like me to demonstrate?  
  
No... No, of course not. Could you just... Go away? Uruki asked softly, thinking of Hikitsu. She just couldn't get her mind off him and that girl no matter how hard she tried.  
  
Now, why would I do that?  
  
Please... I... I just want to be alone right now.  
  
Why? Tell me.  
  
No. I-  
  
It's about Hikitsu, isn't it? Uniyami interrupted.  
  
How... How did you know? Uruki asked. Uniyami grinned.  
  
Let's just say that I have my ways. Now, tell me what happened.  
  
But... No. I can't.  
  
If you're afraid of me finding out about your little crush on him, I'm afraid that I'll have to inform you that I already know.  
  
How... Namame told you, didn't he?! I'll kill him!  
  
Namame? Now how did he come into this conversation? No. He did not tell me. I found out on my own.  
  
But ho-  
  
That doesn't matter. It's none of your business. Now tell me what happened.  
  
It's none of _your_ business.  
  
Do you think I care? No. Never mind. Don't answer that. Now tell me. If you don't, I'll just find out myself.  
  
But.... Oh, fine, Uruki said, defeated. I'll tell you. I saw Hikitsu... He was.... He was kissing another girl. I know it's dumb, but I'd always hoped... hoped that somehow he'd love me. And now... now... She began to cry again. It just hurts so much. I just can't stand it. People always say that love is such a wonderful emotion. That it will bring you happiness. But... If it's so wonderful... Then why has it brought me so much pain. Why...  
  
Umiyame's bitter voice surprised Uruki.  
  
  
  
Weakling. You think that you've been through so much, just because the boy you love likes someone else. Well here's a secret. You know nothing of pain. You say that this has hurt you so much. Well it's nothing compared to real pain. You sit here in front of me, crying over a boy when you have family and friends who care about you saying that you're so hurt. Well to bad. Cry me a river, build a bridge, and get over it.  
  
And who are you to brush my pain aside so lightly?! You speak of pain, but what could be more painful that having your heart be ripped from your breast and shredded right before your eyes?  
  
Having your heart be ripped from your breast and shredded right before your eyes ten times over.  
  
You have no idea how I feel!  
  
Do you want to bet on that?  
  
Okay then. What's this horrible thing that happened to you?  
  
I KILLED MY **OWN SISTER**, YOU FOOL! After she said that, Umiyame looked horrified at herself and quickly turned away from the shocked younger girl in front of her. She had never told anyone that.  
  
W-What.... What did you say?  
  
You heard me. Don't pretend that you didn't. I killed my sister. I murdered her in cold blood.  
  
But... But how? Umiyame sighed inwardly. She really did not want to tell Uruki this. but she had put this on herself. She could blame no one else. And she had already told Uruki what she did. She might as well tell the entire story.  
  
Where could she start. My family had two children, my sister, Jonmesta, and I. We lived alone, because my parents had been killed in a blizzard. That was 63 years ago. We were... orphans. But even though we had no parents, we were happy. It was 58 years ago when it happened... I was 27 years old and Jonmesta was 24. She was at a marriageable age, and, as her guardian, it was my duty to find a husband. I had been struggling to find someone suitable for her for a year or two already and had shown her many men, but she had rejected all of them, stating that they where boring, stupid, and quite a few other things. Each time that I tried to convince her to marry one of the men, she would state that I was not married, and, since this was true, I would reluctantly give up on that certain boy. But I didn't know one very important thing. Jonmesta... Was already in love. She knew that I would never approve of her love, and so she never told me. That was the real reason that she never approved of any of the men that I set her up with. For you see.... Our tribe... had a rival tribe. And Jonmesta..... was in love with the son of the chief of that rival tribe. At night, the two of them would always meet at a certain lake, for he also loved her, and although they knew that they could never be together, they still hoped... They still hoped that someday they would be able to marry. But.... Then... One night I saw her leaving the tent to go see him. I followed her, and saw them meet.... I was... Furious. And so... I walked out into the clearing and told him to step away from Jonmesta. He refused and they told me that they were in love. But... I could not accept that. It was then... That my seishi powers awoke. I was blinded by the green light that was coming from me, and when it faded, they where both lying at my feet in front of me. And I... And I was covered in blood... Their blood.... With that, Umiyame stood and walked away. She could not stand to me there any more. She did not want to see the look of sympathy or horror that she knew was on Uruki's face. She just wanted to be alone.  
  
She whispered to herself once she was in her room. And with that one name, she was swamped with memories.  
  
  


~*~  


  
_   
  
Jonmesta... What are you doing here! Who is he! Wait... Aren't you...  
  
Yes... I am the son of the chief of the Fin tribe.  
  
Jonmesta, why is he here? Why are you with him?  
  
Mishcorme, please. I... We... We love each other. I didn't tell you because I knew that you would never approve. Please...  
  
Miss... We wish to marry each other.  
  
No! No ! I won't allow it. You ! Boy! Step away from my sister! Leave, and never return.  
  
No! Please sister! Can't you see that I love him.  
  
No. There are many more men out there! You cannot love this one. You **must not** love him. I forbid it!  
  
Then so be it! If you wish to separate us, then you must kill us. I will not leave him! If you make me, then I'll... I'll kill myself!'  
  
Nonsense! Not step away from him! You two will never be able to be together!  
  
  
  
Please, miss...  
  
JUST SHUT UP AND STOP BEING FOOLISH! IF YOU KEEP THIS UP, JONMESTA, THEN I... I'LL KILL HIM, TO MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND!  
  
If you kill him, then you will have to kill me to!  
  
I SAID, STOP BEING FO- *light fills the area coming from a younger Umiyame*  
  
What is that light?!  
  
Is that.... The light of Genbu? *Jonmesta and the boy scream as the light hits them and fall to the ground*  
  
  
  
  
  
I love you... In the next world... we will meet again...  
  
  
  
_

~*~  


  
  
_In the end, I was the enemy, wasn't I? I was the one who stood against their love. and now, when it's too late to change everything that I did, I regret it. They really belonged together, and I was just to blind to see it,'_ Umiyame thought. She felt horrible; worst than she had felt in a long time. _I can only hope that someday, Jonmesta will forgive me. I have learned my lesson. That no matter how impossible it may seem, sometimes two people are just meant to be together, and with just a simple mistake, all that can be lost. Everything can be lost with only an accident. I just hope that that girl, Uruki, learned that lesson too. I want Jonmesta and that boys story to help people, as she would have wanted to help people.'_ She chuckled to herself a bit. _I never even got to learn his name, did I. I've just always referred to him as That Boy'. What a horrible older sister I turned out to be.'_ Umiyame turned her head up to the sky and offered a prayer for her sister and the boy that she had loved. _Please, Genbu... Please let them have found happiness, somewhere better than here. Please let them still be together. Please... Let them have everything that I took away from them...'_  
  
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~End of Chapter 30~  
  
Wow! This is all in one POV. This is the first time I've done that. Hm... Considering that this entire chapter was basically all one big conversation, I guess that there was just no chance for me to change POVs. Anyway, I'll get on with the summoning soon. I just sort of wanted a place where I could show what Umiyame went through when she was younger. Besides, I thought that this idea was interesting. I like it. Still, the flashback was really hard to write. I just didn't know how to put it down. But I think that I did an okay job. Anyway, please review. More coming soon.


	31. Proposal

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV  
  
** Takiko-sama! Takiko-sama! One of the many maids yelled as she pounded on Takiko's bedroom door, trying to get her up.  
  
Takiko whined as she opened the door. _For the sake of Genbu... What could she want, this early in the morning?'_  
  
Takiko-sama, His Highness told me to summon you so that you could purify yourself for the summoning today.  
  
Oh! That's right! The summoning is today! I'll be right out. Just let me get dressed, Takiko exclaimed as she shut the door and began to find some clothes. She picked out a light green kimono with darker green flowers on it. Her obi was a plain, dark green one with a white border on it. It was one of her new outfits that she had gotten when she and Hatsui had gone on a trip to the market a few days ago. Since he had lived in the capital all of his life, he knew all about the city and had offered to show her around to keep her mind off of the quickly approaching ceremony.  
  
Takiko ran a brush through her long, silky hair, letting it flow down her back. Once that was done, she began to put it up in a braid, hesitated, and left it down. It had been almost a month since they had returned to the capital, and it was finally time to summon Genbu. Takiko couldn't believe that it had been almost two years since she had come to this strange world that now felt like her home. It didn't seem like that long. She had been through so much in this world, both horrible and wonderful. Throughout the entire time, she had hoped that when it was all over, she would be able to go back to her world; back to her family and friends. But now, she wasn't so sure. She had come to love this world as if it was her own. She had made friends there, and her seishi where like her family now. And Tomite was there. If she left, then she would never see him again. He would only be a memory. A thing of the past. A character in a book.  
  
Throughout her entire adventure in the book, Takiko had always been sure of two of her three wishes. First, she would wish for Genbu to save Hokkan for the emperor. She was still sure that she would wish for this. But after she had made that wish, she had always thought that she would wish to go home. But now that the time had come, she wasn't so sure. She wasn't sure if she wanted to leave. But... She wanted to go home; back to her world, the one she was born and raised in. _I'll decide what to do when the time comes. And besides, I don't even know what my third wish will be. I'd better think of that. Then I'll decide whether or not I want to stay in this world. And if I do, then I'll ask Genbu to keep me here as one of my wishes.'_ Satisfied with that, Takiko calmly walked out into the hall where the servant was waiting for her, with her chin held high, looking as regal as the Miko she was.  
  
Takiko-sama, first you will eat breakfast with the Genbu Seishi and then you will go to wash and purify yourself. Then, you will be dressed in your summoning outfit and will summon Genbu. Is that okay? The servant asked as they walked to the dinning hall.  
  
Yes. Of course, Takiko replied a little nervously. They reached the dinning hall and the servant opened the door to reveal the Genbu Seishi and the emperor. Takiko walked in and took her seat beside Tomite as the servant closed the door behind her. She and the others talked about normal things, but each knew that the others where nervous. This was the day. They would summon Genbu. Takiko would make her wishes. Hokkan would be saved. But there was one big If'. All these things would happen _if_ Takiko could do it. Everything was up to her now, and she was scared. Scared out of her wits. Everyone could tell. Her hands were shaking and she barely ate. She was also silent throughout the entire meal as she pushed her food around her plate with her fork, but didn't put any of it in her mouth. Her seishi, especially Tomite, and the emperor were worried about her, but kept it to themselves. They knew that she would just be more distressed if she knew that she was worrying them.  
  
Takiko, of course, wasn't the only one that the others were worried about. They had all noticed that throughout the months that they had been in the capital, Uruki had been avoiding Hikitsu. Only Hikitsu, Uruki and Umiyame knew why, but they told no one. After she had seen Hikitsu kissing the other girl, she had avoided him. She had decided that she would just have to get over him and that the only way to do that would be to stay away from him. Hikitsu had been trying to get her alone so that he could explain things to her, but had been unable to. She was very successful at avoiding people, and, although it hurt because she knew that she was hurting him, she had continued it for the month after she had seen him and the other girl. Throughout the entire meal, Hikitsu kept glancing at her, trying to catch her eye as he had done at every meal during that month, but she ignored him, acting like he wasn't even there.  
  
The other seishi looked from Takiko, to Uruki, to Hikitsu worriedly. Today was the summoning. They couldn't put it off any longer. Everyone knew that. The longer they waited, the closer the Kutou army got to them. If they waited too long, then they would all be killed. They could only hope that they would all be ready when the time to summon Genbu came...  
  
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**Takiko's POV  
  
** I sat in my room and fidgeted nervously. Everything was happening to fast. Way to fast. It seemed like it was only a few days ago that I had been struggling against bandits and scared of Tomite's symbol, and now I was about to summon Genbu. Of course, it had been much longer than a few days since I had come to this world, it just didn't feel like it. I sighed, lying back on my bed, memories flying through my head.  
  
  
  
  


~*~  


  
_ "As you can see, you have already found one. My real name is Chamka Tan, but my seishi name is Tomite."_  
  


~*~  


  
_ "Yes. My name is Chen Entato, but you may call me Hikitsu."_  
  
  


~*~  


  
_ "Hello Uruki."  
  
"You're that man from the other day. How do you know my seishi name? I know that I never told you. In fact, I didn't even tell you my real name!"_  
  
  


~*~  


  
_ "My name is Temur Bataar. But you may call me Namame, of the Genbu seven. My power is sensing others emotions."_  
  
  


~*~  


  
_ Yes. my name is Dugureng Zaan but you may call me Iname._  
  
  


~*~  


  
_ My real name is Shi-Hsiu, but my seishi name is Hatsui. You are also a Genbu Seishi, aren't you?_  
  


~*~  


  
_ "I am Umiyame of the Genbu Seishi. And just so you know... You're in my house, right now."_  
  


~*~  


  
Each of my seishi where so different, yet so similar. Each had come to me willingly. Each had saved me so many times with no concern for their own life. I had been lucky so many times. It hardly seemed fair. But... Now I was lost. Today was the day. I had to decide what I was to wish. In only an hour, I was to be purified. I wanted to know what I would wish for before then.  
  
*Knock knock* Someone pounded on my door. Who is is? I called. It was too early for the servants that would help me purify myself to come.  
  
It's me, Tomite, he replied. I sighed and opened the door.  
  
Come on in, I said and he did so.  
  
T-T-Takiko-san... There's been something that I've been meaning to ask you for a while now. He was a nervous wreck. And... And I think that I should ask you now, before you summon Genbu. _what could be so important that he would be this nervous?'_ I wondered. _And why does he have to ask me before I summon Genbu?'_  
  
What is is, Tomite? I asked him as I sat down on my bed once more.  
  
W-W-Well... Well I... I was... I was wondering- He knelt and suddenly I realized what he was going to ask. I felt me heart begin to beat faster and the sweat begin to form on my palms. Will you marry me, Takiko? Will you stay in this world and become my wife?  
  
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~End of Chapter 30~  
  
Well, you all knew that he'd ask her sometime. The question is, what will her answer be? Ah, I just love to leave you at cliff hangers... The joys of being an author (ess). Anyway, please, please, _please_ review. I love reviews! they make me happy, and a happy author (ess) will update more! So please review! More coming soon.


	32. Preparations

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV  
  
** Will you marry me, Takiko? Will you stay in this world and become my wife? Tomite asked as he knelt and held out a ring. The ring had a gold band and a small emerald on it. To many, it might have looked plain, but to Takiko, it was beautiful. She knew that Tomite must have spent all of his savings on it, for he was not rich. No. If anything, he was poor. But he still wanted to marry her. He still wanted to be with her forever.  
  
I... I... I...  
  
  
_ I'm not ready for this. I don't know what to say. Of course I want to marry him, but is that the right choice? If I say yes, then I'll have to stay in this world. I'll never see my father, Suzuno-san, or any of my other friends again. I'll never go back to my world. But if I say no...'_ Takiko thought.  
  
Then she looked into Tomite's deep, brown eyes, so full of hope and love, and she knew what her answer must be.  
  
she said in a small voice. Yes. I'll stay. I'll be your wife. His face broke into the grin that she loved so much and he slipped the ring onto her finger. She looked at it, an everlasting symbol of their love, and then at his smiling face. And when their eyes met, Tomite closed the gap between them and kissed her gently. She wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his silky brown hair, pulling him closer.  
  
Finally, they pulled back, breathing a little hard. Takiko whispered in his ear.  
  
  
  
I love you, Tomite. He grinned for about the millionth time.  
  
Yeah. Me too. They were just about to kiss again when there was a knock on the door.  
  
Takiko-sama! Takiko-sama! It's time for your purifying bath.  
  
Darn it! I was just beginning to have fun, too. Takiko muttered softly so that the servant at the door couldn't hear. What she called out in reply was, I'll be there in a moment. She then gave Tomite a quick peck on the lips and swept a brush through her now tangly hair to get it to lay flat. Once that was done, she went to the door and left her room.  
  
As she walked down the halls after the servant, Takiko was lost deep in thought. _He asked me to _marry_ him. And I said _yes_. I never thought that this would happen. I know that he loves me and that I love him, but I never thought that we would actually get _married_. I always thought that after this was all over, I would just go back to my world and forget about him. But... I guess that even if I tried, I would never really be able to just forget about him. I love him to much. Once Genbu is summoned and Hokkan is saved, I'll wish to become a permenent resident of this world and then for happiness for all of my seishi. After all, they deserve it. They've done so much for me and never asked for anything in return. It's the least that I can do for them, after all that they've done for me; wish for them to be happy.'_ Almost directly after Takiko had decided this, she found herself at the bath where she would purify herself. In the other three countries, the bath would have been outside, but not in Hokkan. To go into water outside in Hokkan for long periods of time was to ask for death by freezing. It was simply too cold. And so, unlike all of the other gods, Genbu did not ask for his miko to be purify herself outside. Instead, Takiko was to be purified in a small bath that was connected to the temple and wasn't allowed to be used in any other way so that the water would remain clean and pure.  
  
Takiko slowly shed her clothes and waded into the water. It was the perfect temperature to her cold body, small clouds of steam rising from it, making a sharp contrast to the crisp air all around the room. Slowly, Takiko began to relax and enjoy her bath. She finally knew what she wanted for her wishes. She and Tomite would get married. And she would finally be happy with the friends and her love that she had found in this world. Everything was finally falling into place. Takiko smiled, feeling the soothing water wash all around her, and sighed in contentment. The small waves rocked her slowly and she began to feel a little sleepy. Determined to stay awake, she plunged her head under the foamy water and held her breath until she had to have air. Then, she lurched to the surface, breathing hard.  
  
My lady, this is not play time. You are supposed to be purifying yourself, said one of the seven ladies that had come with her to help her get ready for the summoning. After she had finished purifying herself, they would help her dress and then tell her exactly what she would have to do to summon the beast god and how to do it. The one that had spoken was one of the six that she didn't know. The last one was Uruki. If anything happened while she was preparing for the summoning, Uruki would protect her.  
  
Of course. Takiko replied. Um... But exactly how do I purify myself? Do I just sit here?  
  
Basically...that's half of it. You're also supposed to wash yourself with these, Uruki replied as she handed Takiko a small tray that had special shampoos, conditioners and soaps, careful not to let her skin or any of her clothes touch the water. Takiko took it and thanked her friend. Then, she began to use the items on the tray, carefully making sure that every inch on herself was clean. Once that was done, she stood and reluctantly walked out of the warm bath, shivering as the cold air hit her wet skin. Uruki and the other girls wrapped her in a soft towel, drying her off as well as they could. Then, they took her back to her rooms in witch they began to dress and groom her. Each article of clothing had to be put on in a certain order, in a certain way and after it was put on, Takiko would have to murmur a prayer to Genbu before the next part of the outfit was put on, making the process very long and tiring.  
  
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**Uruki's POV  
  
** When we where finally done dressing Takiko, I stood back and admired our work. Her outfit consisted of a long, dark green dress with a black swirl type design in it. The pattern stopped right above her knees and elbows and there the fabric changed into an almost see through fabric; so light a green that it was almost white. Half of her long, silky, raven black hair, that had been brushed so much that it shown, was up in a loose bun, but the rest of it was left down. By the bun was an extraordinary, gold, flower head piece that stood out against her dark locks. On her feet were soft, dark green slippers that barely made any noise when she walked. On her lips was just a dab of red lipstick, but she wore no other makeup. She looked... Beautiful.  
  
Takiko slowly turned around in a circle, her skirts whispering with her movement, letting us admire our work. It was still a half an hour until we were to perform the summoning, but we still had to tell Takiko what she would have to do in order to summon Genbu. Still, before that, we decided to take five minutes to relax. During our break, I decided to go get the other seishi and share our masterpiece with them. I wanted them to be able to admire Takiko before the summoning. Quickly, I went and got Namame. I told him to get the other seishi and then to go to Takiko's room.  
  
Soon they where all admiring her. Tomite started.  
  
Well... How does she look? I asked.  
  
Something's missing... Tomite continued, ignoring my question.  
  
Missing?! What could be missing?! She looks perfect! I almost yelled, apalled by the thought that he might think that she didn't look great. But instead of answering me, he left the room.  
  
I wonder where he's going... Hatsui said and the rest of us nodded. When I glanced at Takiko, I could of sworn that she looked hurt. But in a few minutes, Tomite was back. He strode over to Takiko and placed a necklace around her neck. Takiko looked down at it, grinned, and muttered the prayer that she had been saying each time that something was put on her. I grinned as well and admired the necklace.  
  
Say, Tomite, where did you get this? I want one. I asked. Tomite only smiled a small, sad smile.  
  
It was my mother's, he said quietly, looking sad.  
  
Oh, Tomite, if it was your mother's, then I can't take it. I could never take this, Takiko said and was about to take it off and give it back to him when he stopped her, shaking his head.  
  
This was given to my mother by my father. It was given to my father by his mother and to his mother by her father. When my mother gave it to me, she told me to give it to the woman that I loved someday, he said. She smiled and nodded. Then, the emperor walked in.  
  
Everyone, where're about to start the summoning, he said. We all quickly hurried out of the room and got into our places for the summoning...  
  
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~End of Chapter 31~  
  
Just so you all know, the necklace that Tomite gave Takiko is the future shinzaho. I wanted to make it a symbol of Takiko and Tomite's love, like Suzuno's was symbol of her love with Tatara. Hm... I can't believe that the next chapter will be the summoning. it feels hard to believe that I've gotten so far with this fic. Anyway, please review. More coming soon.  
  
~And remember: More reviews=A a happier author=More chapters quicker!~


	33. The Summoning

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV  
  
** Takiko walked down the rows of her seishi. Finally, they were performing the ceremony!  
  
First was Namame, then Uruki, Hikitsu, Iname, Tomite, Hatsui, and lastly Umiyame. As she passed them, each one smiled at her and she did the same for them. She walked slowly, her head high and her eyes directly ahead, just as she had been told. Each of her seishi was bursting with pride for their beloved miko. At the end of the isle, there where some stairs and then the huge fire in which Takiko was to through the scroll that the emperor had given her at the beginning of her adventure when she had first come to the palace with Tomite. Takiko, even though she was scared out of her wits, bravely walked up the stairs and in a loud clear voice, she began to recite the incantation, that she had learned only that morning, so that all could hear.  
  
  


_The four palaces of the heavens  
the four corners of the earth  
In the name of sacred law, faith, and virtue,  
I summon thee, Genbu, Guardian of the North  
  
I beseech you to appear on earth  
From the palaces of heaven  
For the sake of those here who adore you, and await your presence.  
  
Come to us!  
And with your mighty power  
Destroy all that is evil which threatens us...  
Save us, and grant us our wishes  
  
Be sent to us now, from the heavens above!_  


  
  
With each word, more and more power seemed to fill the room. Takiko threw the scroll into the fire and waited, trembling from fear. As she and her seishi watched, the flames turned green and a shadow began to form in the middle of it. _Genbu?'_ thought Takiko as she watched it. _Is that shadow Genbu?'_ Slowly, a blinding, green light shot out of the fire and surrounded the Genbu no Miko. Her seishi could hear her frightened scream, cut short for a reason that nobody knew.  
  
Inside the sphere of bright green light, Takiko watched as the tortoise god appear before her eyes.  
  
** I am Genbu Seikun... are you the priestess who summoned me?"** asked Genbu. He looked like a mortal man with straight, obsidian black hair that was tied up in a loop on the top of his head and piercing, dark green eyes. He was wearing black armor and had a strange snake, that was so dark of a green that it almost looked black, wrapped around his neck staring at her; to Takiko it seemed as if the snake was staring a hole through her. In the center on the god's forehead, in the same place as Umiyame's, was a glowing, green symbol, like a glowing birthmark. His mouth was narrow and above it was a small black mustache that matched his hair. (Not in the style. In the way that it was black.) Over all, he looked very handsome. But his looks were wasted on Takiko. She had already given her heart to Tomite, and to her, the god looked just like any other man. That is, if you forget about the glowing symbol on his head. But he didn't feel like any other man. Power was flowing from him, like light comes from a light bulb. He was also much taller than a normal person; he was nearly seven feet tall. When she looked at him, Takiko shivered and backed away a few steps. The light coming from him was blinding, but she forced herself to look him in the eye despite that and her fear. She was no coward!  
  
Yes. I am, she answered.  
  
** I will now merge with you and we will become one. In exchange, you will be able to use my power three times. When you're ready, say the word "kaijin". Do you understand?"**  
  
Takiko was scared. She didn't know what the god meant by merge'. But then she thought of her seishi, who where willing to risk everything to help her summon Genbu and save their country, even if it meant losing their own lives. Of the emperor, who had accepted her when there was basically no proof that she was the Genbu no Miko and had helped her on her quest. Of Uruki's grandfather, who had willingly let them take his granddaughter with them, even though he may never see her again, because he believed in them and their cause. Of Namame's parents, who had given them shelter and who had healed Tomite when he was badly burned. Of Kuro, who was not of Hokkan, but at the end had still believed what they where doing was right. Of her father, who was reading her story from outside the book, praying for her to be okay. Of Suzuno, who was worried about her even though she didn't know what was happening to her. Of many men who had fought for their country when Kutou was first attacking and had ended up in the infirmary or dead. Of the famine and disease that Kutou was creating in her new home. Of all the people that she had seen on her journey throughout this strange and new nation. Of everyone who believed in her.  
  
Y-yes."  
  
With that, Takiko's clothes flew off to reveal her bare body. On it, she watched as seven symbols glowed to life. On for each of her seishi. She identified them, one by one, in her mind. Void, or Xu, was on the lower part of her back; Tomite's symbol. On her eye, blinding her, was To, which meant Ladle; Hikitsu's symbol. And the Kanji symbol for female or girl, Nu, had appeared on her left shoulder; Uruki's symbol. On her left wrist was the the green symbol Bi, or Wall; Namame's symbol. On her right buttock was the symbol Niu, or Ox; Iname's symbol. On her right abdomen glowed the symbolShi, or House; Hatsui's symbol. And lastly, in the center of the girls forehead glowed Wei, that translated to Danger or Roof; Umiyame's symbol. Suddenly, all of the symbols faded and a new one appeared in the center of her forehead, where Umiyame's symbol had been only seconds before. The new symbol was the same one that was on Genbu's forehead. Genbu then thrust his hands inside of Takiko's breast, making her gasp in pain. And then... Everything was gone. Genbu disappeared and the green light began to fade. Her clothes were even back. The only thing that stayed was the green symbol on her forehead and the horrible pain in her chest...  
  
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**Tomite's POV  
  
** The other seishi and I watched as Takiko was surrounded by the horribly bright green light. Try as we might, we could not penetrate it to get to her and make sure that she was okay. It was the work of the god. Finally, we settled down to wait; there was nothing else we could do. Finally, the light faded and there stood Takiko, looking exactly the same besides the green symbol glowing on her forehead and the fact that she was a bit paler. We watched in horror as she began to fall backwards from exhaustion, down the stairs. I ran up to her as fast as I could and just caught her in time.  
  
Takiko! Takiko! Are you all right? I asked frantically as the other seishi ran up to us. She looked up at me, her eyes glossy with pain, and it seemed to take a moment for her to realize who I was.  
  
T-T-T-Tomite? I-is that y-you? She asked in a small voice.  
  
Yes, Takiko. It's me. You're safe now.  
  
Takiko tried to reach up to me with a shaking finger, but stopped, wincing in pain.  
  
What is it Takiko?! I asked, alarmed.  
  
Oh, Tomite.... It's so painful... Help me, Tomite... Help me... It was something that Takiko never would have asked me to do if she was in her right mind. As it was, she was begging me to help her, to take away the horrible pain, and I could do nothing as she lay there in my arms. Her eyes, still glassy and unfocused because of the pain, slowly slid closed, as she fainted. What could be happening to her? Why was she in so much pain? I did not know. I only knew that someone, or something, was hurting her, maybe even killing her, while all I could do was hold her in my arms and watch her suffer. I picked her up and began to take her to her room, when something caught my eye. It was the necklace that I had given her just that morning. It was.... Different, although I can't say how. It shimmered, almost glowing with power. _What could have happened to it? It's different, but still the same...'_ I thought, but paid no heed to it. Instead, I carried her to her room, with the other seishi following solemnly. I laid her on her bed and we all waited, for what I do not know. I only know that we were waiting for something...  
  
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~End of Chapter 31~  
  
Yay! I've finally made the summoning! That was a lot of work, too. I'd like to say a big thanks to otaku-no-miko, my baita, for adding in what Seiryuu says to Yui as what Genbu says to Takiko because it couldn't find it _anywhere_. Also, I just realized that I haven't been giving her much credit. A while ago, my other baita, Juggalette, stopped e-mailing me my edited chapters back to me, I don't know why. I waited for about a month for her to get them back to me, but finally gave up and started to post the unedited chapters up. That's when otaku-no-miko asked me if I needed a baita. I happily said yes and she has been wonderful I couldn't ask for a better baita. Lets all give her a hand for all of her great work! *Claps and cheers insanely* Anyway, please review. More coming soon.


	34. Eyes in the Darkness

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV  
  
** As we all sat around Takiko's bed, watching the sweat run down her neck and hearing her labored breath, we heard the pounding of feet as someone ran down the hall. Suddenly, the door flew open.  
  
You're the Genbu Seishi, right? Asked a young boy, probably a servant, breathlessly.  
  
said Hikitsu slowly.   
  
Kutou is attacking in force! The miko must make her first wish immediately! After the boy said this, a clatter was heard.  
  
Yelled Tomite standing up so fast that his chair was knocked over. If she makes her wishes now, she may die! We'll go and fight until she's strong enough! At first, the others just looked at him. The, slowly, Hikitsu nodded. Very well, he said. You're right. If she makes her wishes now, Takiko may die. We don't know how much energy it will take for her to make a wish, and she's already worn out. Turning to the other seishi, he asked, Is that okay with you? The others nodded and each went to there separate rooms to prepare for battle. After a few minutes, they all met right outside Takiko's room.  
  
Shouldn't one of us stay with Takiko-san? That way, when she wakes up, they can tell her where we are. Also, in case Kutou forces get inside the palace, there will be someone to protect her, said Namame.  
  
I'll stay, offered Hatsui. After all, I don't like fighting very much, and I know the most about healing, so if she gets hurt somehow, I'll know what to do.  
  
Good idea, said Iname. And with that, Hatsui went into Takiko's room and the other seishi quickly ran outside to where the fighting was.  
  
Outside the palace, it was chaos. People ran through the streets and and there was blood everywhere. The Kutou forces were overwhelming the Hokkan solders and the few civilians who had come from their hiding places to help them. The Kutou soldiers had already gotten to the gates that separated the palace from the rest of the city and the Hokkan forces were having a very hard time holding them back and keeping them from getting into the palace grounds. The Genbu Seishi quickly joined the struggle. Tomite and Hikitsu went up on the wall that overlooked the battle. While Tomite shot his arrows furiously, Hikitsu sent out ice snake after ice snake, freezing every enemy solder he could. Meanwhile, Iname and Namame jumped directly into the middle of the battle and began to tear down the enemy in front of them like a tornado. The Kutou solders didn't know what hit them. Umiyame had disappeared somewhere, although on the other side of the battle field quite a few Kutou solders had fallen over dead for some reason that none of them could identify. In that general vicinity, there was panic. This left Uruki to charge into the enemy on her own. She did so bravely, her symbol glowing brightly on her bare shoulder.  
  
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**Hikitsu's POV  
  
** I sent my ice snakes as many places as I could at once, but up on the wall, I was to far away to do mush damage. I yelled. I'm going down; off the wall.  
  
Okay. Be careful! He yelled back.  
  
I will. He needn't have told me that. I had no intention of getting killed. That would have been stupid; getting killed right before we reached our goal of saving Hokkan. I charged into the masses of Kutou solders, freezing anyone in my way. I wanted to get to one of my fellow seishi. It would be dangerous to fight alone. I looked around and judged that Uruki was the closest to me. Crap. She wouldn't want me fighting with her. She still seemed to be mad at me because she had seen that other girl and I kissing. The problem was, I didn't know why. Why should she be mad at me for kissing another girl? And besides, that wasn't even what happened! I hadn't gotten a chance to tell her what had really happened. I hadn't kissed that girl. She had kissed me. She had pulled me into that room, telling me that she had something important to tell me. I had gone willingly, which made what had happened next my fault on part. She had kissed me, and Uruki had seen. Oh, why did it have to be Uruki who saw that?! I wouldn't have minded if it were anyone else. But it wasn't. It was Uruki. No amount of wishing and dreaming would change that. And now she hated me. Why else would she have avoided me to the extent that she had? She had even been going out of her way to avoid me. Why would she do that? Was it simply embarrassment or the fact that she didn't know what to say? But Uruki wasn't like that. Normally, I would have thought that she would have just laughed it off or teased me about it incessantly. But she hadn't. Instead, she had been avoiding me.  
  
It hurt, to tell that truth. It hurt that she had been avoiding me. I had kept trying to take her aside where no one else could hear us and tell her the truth. To tell her that I loved her, even if it was betraying Sora's memory. I _had_ to tell her. But first, I had to get to her so that nether of us would get killed from sheer numbers. I quickly began to freeze those people in my way so that I could get to her. Those people that I couldn't freeze, I would cut down with my sword. Not many people knew that I could use a sword, and I couldn't use it nearly as well as Uruki, but I could and I did. It was the only way. I had just cut down another man, when I saw it. Uruki didn't see someone behind her. She was cutting down one of the men in front of her, oblivious to the danger behind her.  
  
URUKI! LOOK OUT!!! I yelled as loud as I could, but I was to late. The man began to swing his blade, and it bit into flesh. Blood splattered everywhere. My blood. With a burst of speed, I had blocked the sword... With my body. There was a dull pain in my chest; pulsing with a pain that was feeling farther away by the second. I tasted more blood in my mouth, but didn't care. With the last of my energy, I created an ice snake and froze Uruki's opponent. Then I fell. I saw Uruki's mouth open in a silent scream as she ran forward to catch me, by blood seeping into her clothes.  
  
Hikitsu.... HIKITSU!! She yelled as she fully realized what was happening, tears streaming down her cheeks. She whispered to me again once I was laying in her arms. I looked up into her beautiful brown eyes, now swimming in tears. Strange... I had never seen her cry.... Why was she crying now? Why would she cry for me?  
  
No... Hikitsu.... Please... Please don't leave me..... We'll get you to Hatsui.... You'll be okay... Just... Just hang on.... Uruki said through her tears. I tried to smile... Tried to smile for her.... But a horrible pain in my gut stopped me. I painfully looked down and saw a huge, red, soggy patch in the middle of my gut. Strange... I didn't remember getting injured. I looked up into Uruki's face again and saw the tears streaming down her face freely; she wasn't trying to stop them anymore. I tried to take my hand to her cheek and wipe them away, she was too wonderful to be sad because of me, but found that I couldn't. I was quickly loosing all feeling in my arms and legs. At the same time, my mind was becoming fuzzier and fuzzier. It was then, before my mind had completely lost all of it's focus, that I realized... I was dying. And I also knew, that no matter what was done for me, I would not live. Not even Hatsui could save me. I felt... satisfied, as strange as it sounds. I would die, not doing my duty to the Genbu no Miko as I had always thought I would, but saving the one I loved. Uruki. I would die saving Uruki. It was the most honorable death I could have hoped for. But before I left this world, there was something that I needed to tell her. I tried to speak, only to find that I couldn't. Finally, I mustered enough strength to tell her.  
  
I began weakly, but she hushed me.  
  
Shh.... Save your strength. She didn't understand. I had to tell her before I died. I was still hoping that I would make it, but I knew better.  
  
No... There is something.... Something that I have to tell you.... Before I leave this Earth forever... Each word was a struggle to say. Saying each sentence hurt more that anything I had ever done in my life. But I had to do it. She deserved to know the truth. She _had_ to know the truth!  
  
She said forcefully. No! You won't die! You _can't_ die! Don't even think of such things!  
  
Yes... I will... And before I do... I must tell you.... I didn't kiss that girl.... She looked shocked by this.  
  
But... But I saw...  
  
That girl kissed me... I interrupted. I didn't have time to be polite. As we spoke, I could feel my life slipping from me. There was one more thing... Only one more thing... That I had to tell her before I died. Uruki... I have always lov.... But I never got to finish. I never got to tell her the most important thing. For at that moment...  
  
I died.  
  
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_~End of Chapter 31~_  
  
Poor Uruki. I'm so cruel. Sorry to all you Hikitsu fans, but I had to do this. Believe me, I like him too. He's a great character. But later you'll see why I did this. There is a reasion. At least believe that, even it you don't like this. Well, more coming soon. Don't forget to review!


	35. He Can't Be Dead!

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV  
  
** Tomite watched in horror from the wall as with a burst of speed, Hikitsu blocked the oncoming sword, the tip of it just sticking through his back. He jumped off the wall and fought his way through to where he had seen Hikitsu fall. But when he got there, it was to late. He found Uruki there, clutching the lifeless form of Hikitsu to her chest, heedless of the tears streaming down her cheeks. She stroked his hair and kissed his blood caked lips as if she refused to believe that he was dead.  
  
No..... No.... She whispered as Tomite watched. He wasn't dead. He couldn't be dead. That was impossible. He'd been there since the beginning.  
  


~*~  


  
_ My name is Chen Entato, but you may call me Hikitsu."_  
  
  


~*~  


  
Slowly, the other Genbu Seishi began to arrive at the sean. They had all felt Hikitsu's life trickle beyond reach, into oblivion. Now they watched as Uruki held their fallen friend.  
  
Only Namame and Umiyame had ever known of Uruki's feelings for Hikitsu, but now there was no doubt in anyone's mind of how she felt. It was evident on her every feature.  
  
"You're not dead," Uruki said to Hikitsu, to his closed eyes and immobile form. "You're not dead, because if you were, I would have died too."  
  


~*~  


  
_ "I think that Tomite has a hard time express his feelings. I don't think that he meant to hurt you. He must not be used to other people worrying about him and doesn't really know how to reply."_  
  
  


~*~  


  
She released his hand, letting it slip limply down the ground, bringing her own hand, free now, back to his face, touching his eyelids, feeling them under her fingers.  
  
"You're not dead. I won't let you be dead." He couldn't die. Not like this. He had given so much to her. She needed to give back to him.  
  
She fumbled blindly for his hand, grabbing it and holding on as if to a lifeline. The chi flared and he channeled it in a brilliant rush of green light and heat and energy. She felt it spread over his body, fill it, infuse it, and she held her breath, waiting for that spark to kindle, to tell her that there was a living soul inside the dead shell.  
  
Nothing.  
  


~*~  


  
_ "Her name was Sora. She was the healer's daughter in my tribe, which was at the foot of this mountain. She and I where... lovers, I guess. One day a rival tribe attacked our tribe. We were taken completely by surprise. It wasn't long before we were wiped out. In the fray, an enemy arrow hit Sora. She died in my arms. I took her up here to bury her the next day. She'd always loved this place. She'd come here all the time. The least I could do for her was put her in a place that she had always been happy.... That arrow was meant for me. She blocked it with her body. She died for me."_  
  
  


~*~  


  
No..... No..... She whispered again.  
  
He can't be..... started Namame, but wasn't able to finish.  
  
Iname finished for him. No one could believe it. Hikitsu? Dead? It just didn't make sense. He was the strongest of them all. He had been there since the beginning. He was the second seishi that Takiko had found. How could he be dead? That was impossible... Right?  
  
I..... Yes... He is... Tomite answered.  
  
Uruki yelled to them. NO! HE'S NOT DEAD! HE **CAN'T** BE DEAD! _I can't believe it.... I _won't_ believe it! He's not dead! He can't be dead! It's impossible!'_ she thought. The others just looked at her with pity in their eyes. She ignored them. once again, she tried to put her chi into him, to find some spark of life. But there was none. None at all.  
  


~*~  


  
_ "Say, Uruki... What was it like, back where you came from? We were all there for a little while, but we didn't get to see much."_  
  
  


~*~  


  
She whispered once again. She tried again, only to get the same results.  
  
No..... You're alive.... You were just speaking.... I don't know what I have always lov' means..... You have to tell me.... There was a long pause before she finally added, The others watched all this worriedly, but none ventured close to the girl. With the glowing, green aura, the blood smeared all over her clothes, and the way that she was acting, Uruki looked scary. None of them knew what she would do if they tried to get close to her. However, she was also in pain, and Umiyame couldn't let that continue. The old woman wasn't very close to Uruki, but she knew how hard it was to loose the person closest to her, whether the person was family or not. She may have been able to tell the girl that she was weak for crying over the boy that she loved kissing another girl, but not this. She knew what sort of pain Uruki was going through, and she couldn't let someone else suffer through that pain alone. So, slowly, she approached the distressed girl and pulled her away from Hikitsu's body.  
  
She whispered, comforting the younger girl, her voice surprisingly soft. He's in a better place now...  
  
No.... He's not dead... He can't be dead...  
  
Stupid girl! The sudden harshness in Umiyame's voice surprised Uruki. She looked up into her eyes, but saw no pity.  
  


~*~  


  
_ Takiko... Why don't you go and help in the infirmary. They could always use an extra hand, and that way you'll know if any of us get hurt. You can't go out and fight like the rest of us. It's two dangerous. If you die then we will all be doomed. If something happens to one of us, then we may be able to ask Tai-Itsukun for help and she may know a way to summon Genbu if that we don't._  
  


~*~  


  
You stupid, stupid girl! He's dead! Nothing will bring him back! She softened her voice and continued, still no pity in her eyes and voice. Sometimes people die, and there's nothing you can do about it. Hikitsu died, not in the line of duty, but protecting you. If you just mope around mourning his death for the rest of your life, his sacrifice will be wasted. He died so that you could live. He made the ultimate sacrifice so that your life could go on. It was the most honorable death that he could possibly have asked for.  
  
Nobody's telling you to get over his death right away. You'll never get over his death. None of us will. The wound will never heal completely, and there's nothing that we can do about that. The pain is what makes us human. Without it, we would only be machines. But we can move on. We must morn his death, but not forget to celebrate his life. That is the most important thing. Surprisingly, these words seemed to help Uruki more than any words of pity ever could have.  
  
Your right... She said slowly, still sobbing. Slowly, she went back to Hikitsu's body and lifted him up. I... I'll take him back inside the palace. The rest of you... You'd better get back to the battle. She tried to smile and look happier, but no one was buying it. We still have to save Hokkan, right? She said, and then made her way back into the palace. The other turned back to the battle. Uruki was right. They still had a country and people to save. And they would save it. They would do it for Hikitsu.  
  


~*~  


  
_ "Uruki, I know what you're thinking. You think that you're going to be nice and safe here while we're off risking our butts trying to find the last seishi. But you're wrong. The most likely thing that will happen is that we'll be staying at some inn while you risk your life defending the capital. I really mean it Uruki. I'm more worried about you and Namame than I am about myself."_  
_  
  
_

~*~_  
_

  
"I am. And might I be so rude to ask, who are you? You seem to know all of us quite well, but none of us know you."  
  
  


~*~_  
_

  
Genbu! Come here! NOW!  
  
  


~*~_  
_

  
I'm not really sure. She suddenly started to have trouble breathing, and she began to glow with a strange green light. It was almost like Genbu himself was visiting her to helping her. Then, somehow, she was healed.  
  
  


~*~_  
_

  
Uruki... I have always lov....  
  
  


~*~  


  
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~End of Chapter 31~  
  
Wow! Another chapter with only one POV. I wrote this chapter as a tribute of sorts to Hikitsu. That's why it has a bunch of his quotes from all over the story, from his first to his last. I also really wanted to show just how much Uruki cared for Hikitsu. Also, I'm really sorry about how long this chapter took me to write. My computer was acting up and so my dad had to fix it and wouldn't let me on. Sorry. Please review. More coming soon.


	36. Sacrifice

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV  
  
** Hikitsu... was dead. Tomite couldn't believe it. How could he be dead? He'd been there since the beginning! He was like an older brother to Tomite. He was the person that he went to when he needed to talk to him about something.  
  
The distressed seishi turned angrily towards the Kutou army. Yes. These were the people who had murdered Hikitsu. He would never forgive them. Never! He felt his symbol begin to glow, filling him with warmth, but his heart was cold. _How dare they?! How dare they do that?! I'll kill them. I'll kill them all for what they did!'_ He thought, blinded by rage and grief. He plunged into the masses of the enemy, shooting everything in sight with ice and rage uncontrolled. The solders scattered before him as Namame plunged after him. _He's going to get himself killed, the idiot! Why'd he go plunging into that mass of solders without backup when he's outnumbered, anyway? We can't have him getting killed, too!'_ The blue haired seishi though as he tried to get to his comrade, slicing through the enemy with his knife. Finally he got to Tomite and yelled out the words that he had just thought with just a bit more cursing from anger. Tomite didn't answer. _Good Genbu, what's wrong with him? Did he take a blow to the head or something?' _Namame wondered, a bit worried. He was also distressed over Hikitsu's death, but his feelings were more of guilt than anything. He had known about both Hikitsu and Uruki's feelings, but had never said anything. If he had, then they might have been able to be happy together when Hikitsu was still alive. But he hadn't. He had always thought that they would tell each other on their own – that there was plenty of time. And now it was to late. Hikitsu had tried to tell Uruki in his last breaths, but had been unable to. Uruki had shown it to the others, but only after he had died. Ah, yes. Namame was feeling very guilty indeed.  
  
Meanwhile, Tomite had run out of arrows. He cursed and pulled his sword out of its sheath. He wasn't very good with a sword, but he could use one. Clumsily, he began to cut his enemy down, but most of them were better with a sword than he and he was soon being forced back. A blade bit into his upper leg and he fell, cursing. The man who had wounded him raised his blade and was swinging down, about to kill him, when it met another blade with a clash. Namame had barely been able to block the on coming blade, saving Tomite's life. But the man holding the blade was bigger than Namame just as his sword was bigger and heavier than Namame's knife. The seishi was struggling to keep the man at bay. The bigger man was soon able to hit Namame in the ribs with the dull edge of his blade, sending Namame crashing into a near by tree. As Tomite watched in horror, the other seishi slid to the base of the tree and lay there in a heap, a small trickle of blood running from his forehead.  
  
Tomite yelled, hoping beyond hope that he wasn't dead. He forced himself to stand on his wounded leg and stumbled over to his friend thinking, _Please don't let him be.... Dead....'_ He knelt by his friend, blood still gushing from his leg, and began to shake him.  
  
C-Come on, Namame... Don't die on me. It's only a little head wound. Good Genbu Namame, don't die on me... Tomite's shaking must have worked because Namame's eyes flickered open.  
  
Stupid kid... Don't insult me. I won't die from a wee nick like this; I've had worse in my day. Besides, this is what happens when you try to face an army by your self with no backup. As he sat up, the world seemed to spin. he put a hand to his head and it came away red. Blood red. he muttered.  
  
Can you walk? Asked Tomite, worriedly.  
  
If I don't get too dizzy. You?  
  
I don't think so. My leg's hurt pretty bad, and I put too much strain on it to get over here.  
  
Well... We both have to get to the infirmary...  
  
Come on. We'll lean on each other. The two got up and put their arms around each others shoulders, using each other for support.  
  
Um... Namame..... How are we supposed to get through all those people? Tomite asked, pointing to the tons of people fighting. I mean... it's not like we can fight...  
  
Um... No clue.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**Tomite's POV  
  
** Great. We were both wounded and helpless, we had to get the infirmary, and we couldn't get past all the stupid people fighting. Were we pathetic excuses for Genbu Seishi, or what? Chosen by a god indeed! Why didn't he chose strong, noble, courageous, cool people? People who could do anything. People like.... Like Hikitsu, I guess. Yeah... Why didn't Genbu pick people more like him?  
  
I didn't know. What I did know was that we had to get past these people. But how?  
  
The worst part was, that I knew how. I just didn't want to do it. I was a coward. But I had also gotten Namame into this, and I had to get him out if it.  
  
Namame... I have a plan... I said, knowing that by saying those five words, I was sealing my fate. I was sentencing myself to death.  
  
It'd better be good.  
  
It is... But I can't tell you what it is.  
  
What?! Why?  
  
  
  
  
  
Shut up and listen. When I let go of you, I want you to go over there– I pointed to an area where there wasn't quite as much fighting –and go around the fighting. Get to the palace. That's all you need to know.  
  
What about you?  
  
I'll be fine. Just get to the palace. He nodded, looking up at me with trust in his eyes. He believed me, and I hated him for that. He really thought that I'd get the two of us out of there alive. Well... He was half right.  
  
I let go of him, and he ran as fast as he could, stumbling a bit because of how much blood he'd lost from his head wound. I only watched him for a moment. Then, I turned toward the fighting. It was my job to keep them away from Namame, even though he didn't know that. It was my job to die...  
  
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_~End of Chapter 36~_  
  
Sorry. I made another short chapter. A cliff hanger too. ^.^ Boy, I love making those. It's so fun to just leave you hanging. *evil grin*


	37. Even if I Die

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**Narrator's POV  
  
** Tomite's plan was dangerous, and he knew that. He also knew that he would not make it through the battle alive. But he had to get Namame out of this alive, and he was willing to sacrifice his life for that. While Namame made for the palace, Tomite had to keep the Kutou soldiers from him. They could see that he was injured and would probably try to kill him, especially since he was one of the Genbu Seishi. It was Tomite's job to keep them away from him – to stop them from _killing_ him.  
  
Tomite didn't have any arrows, but he still had one weapon left. So, as the first of the Kutou soldiers lunged for Namame, he lifted up his hand and began to make his Ring of Restriction'. The ring closed around Namame's attacker, quickly cutting him in half. When his companions saw this, many of them turned towards Tomite, while the others kept the Hokkan forces at bay.  
  
He's one of the Genbu Seishi! One yelled, Tomite couldn't pick out which one. He, using the last of his strength, made as many Ring of Restrictions' as he could, but the spell was an unfamiliar one and he still couldn't do it very well. The Kutou soldiers who had bows raised them, and fired...  
  
Meanwhile, Namame had gotten to the infirmary. As soon as Tomite had made that first Ring of Restriction', he had known what his plan was. But despite how much he wanted to stop him, he knew that he couldn't. If he tried, then they would probably both die. So he kept running, despite the horrible guilt inside him, If Tomite died, and he was sure that he would, it would be his fault. He would have killed one of his dearest friends.  
  
Namame stumbled but kept going. He couldn't stop; not then. He had to keep going. The infirmary was just ahead. He had to get to it. He had to get someone to go help Tomite. Before it was too late. Before the worst thing happened.  
  
Iname, who was at the infirmary because he had been helping a wounded Hokkan soldier get to it, was quite surprised to see Namame stumble into the infirmary. He had many scraped on him and his face was incredible bloody, His hair was messy and had flecks of dried blood in it. In short he was a mess.  
  
Namame! What happened?! He yelled as he rushed up to him, catching him as he fell from exhaustion and lose of blood.  
  
The blue haired seishi whispered.  
  
What? What about Tomite?  
  
Iname... You've got to go... save him...  
  
W-What? What's wrong with him? Iname asked, almost afraid to know the answer.  
  
He.... Fighting... Wounded.... Barely walk.... West side of battle.... Outnumbered... Got to save him... Namame said, his consciousness fading quickly. Iname quickly gave him to one of the healers and ran outside, sword drawn. Namame's message may have been scrambled, but Iname read it loud and clear. Tomite was wounded, probably somewhere in the leg since he could apparently barely walk, and was fighting someone, probably Kutou soldiers. He was outnumbered and on the west side of the battle field. Iname had to save him before it was too late. As he mounted a horse and turned towards the west side of the field, he could only hope that it wasn't _already_ too late.  
  
_Please don't let him be dead. I would have felt it if he were dead. Wouldn't I of? Oh, Genbu, he can't be dead. We already lost Hikitsu. We can't loose him to. We just can't...'_ Iname thought as he road towards the west.  
  
It was then that he saw it. A giant pillar of green light shot towards the sky in the direction that he was going in. _Tomite...'_ He didn't know how he knew that the pillar was caused by Tomite, he just did. He urged horse horse to go faster, pushing the beast to it's limit...  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**Tomite's POV  
  
** The arrows flew at me, and I knew that it was the end. But I had saved Namame, my dear friend, and that was enough. I had fallen soon after I had made my Ring of Restrictions', my wounded leg no longer able to hold me. I watched the arrows from where I was on the ground; watching what would kill me. When the arrows were a mere inches from me, I saw, to my amazement, a green, almost see-through wall come between the arrows and myself. It was one of Iname's barriers. But my fellow seishi was too late. One of the arrows had gotten to me before he had and it had pierced my chest. The pain was horrible at first, but it soon settled to a dull pounding in my chest.  
  
Iname ran up to me. Tomite! No, Tomite! He yelled.  
  
Iname... What.... What are you doing here? I asked.  
  
Saving you; idiot! What were you thinking?!  
  
I had to.... save Namame. I... I got him hurt... And in trouble.... And I had to save him....  
  
Idiot. That doesn't mean that you go get yourself killed. We need you!  
  
Do you? I'm not so sure...  
  
What? What are you saying, Tomite? Of course we need you!  
  
I'm.... I'm just a pathetic.... a pathetic excuse for a... a seishi...  
  
NO! No... You aren't. Of course you aren't! You're the best of us all! We couldn't have summoned Genbu without you! You were that one who found Takiko! Without you, she would have ended up as a slave or dead!  
  
Takiko..... Iname.... Tell... Tell Takiko... that I'm sorry...  
  
For what? What could you possibly be sorry for?  
  
For... Everything.... For... Being such a bad seishi... A bad lover.... For dying...  
  
No! You're not, nor a bad lover! Takiko could never love anyone other than you, even if she tried! And you're not going to die! Don't even think that way! You and Takiko are going to live here, in this world, remember? You're going to live here _together!_ Tears began to run down Iname's cheeks. I – we – need you.  
  
No... I will die.... It's my time, Iname.... So... Please... Once I'm gone... Do one last thing for me....  
  
  
  
Take care of Takiko. And... Tell her that I love her.... I'm not quite sure if I ever made it quite clear enough how much I love her....  
  
I... I'll tell her... Iname replied, finally seeming to accept that I was beyond help. I tried to smile a little, for him. Then, I closed my eyes and waited the few short moments that it would take for me to die. At that moment, I was thinking of only one thing. A mental picture was in my mind, it was of a girl with long, flowing, black hair, dark brown eyes, and a beautiful, full mouth.  
  
  
  
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_~End of Chapter 37~_  
  
You can sue me now. I've made yet another really short chapter. And I even made Tomite die! Sorry! Believe me, I'm just as sad to see him go as you are. But I sort of had to. You see (warning: what I'm about to say is a spoiler, but so is what will be the end of this fic) if I didn't make him diem Takiko would have wished to stay in the book world, and it is a known fact that she didn't, despite all the Genbu fics in which she did. Sorry folks. More coming soon! Please review!


	38. Takiko Awakes

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

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**Narrator's POV**

Tomite whispered as he died, his lips parted in a small smile. Iname felt his body go limp in his arms.

the seishi whispered. No... First Hikitsu, now him. The remaining seishi, with the exception of Hatsui, Namame and Uruki (in other words, Umiyame), looked on, stunned. They had each come as they felt Tomite's life be wrenched from them.

_ "Put the girl down."_

It can't be... The old woman said. Genbu, that boy was so dumb. How could he go and get himself killed? What would happen to Takiko? What would the other seishi think? Who would she tease? Hmm.... Who _would_ she tease?

Iname looked up at her, tears streaming down his cheeks. What... What do we do now? Hikitsu and Tomite are dead. Hatsui's watching over Takiko. Namame's in the hospital wing. Uruki's seeing to Hikitsu's body, and is to distressed to fight anyway. The capital's practically destroyed. Unless there's a miracle, Hokkan is finished.No. That's where you're wrong. We must believe in Takiko. She is our Miko. She will save this country.

_ "There has been a legend passed on through the people of Hokkan for thousands of years. It says that one day, when Hokkan is in need of a miracle, a girl from another world will appear to save the country by becoming Genbu no Miko. Now is that time. Kutou is planning to attack and take us over! Their soldiers outnumber us almost three to one. Finding the Genbu no Miko is our only hope!_

"....The legend says that the Genbu no Miko will gather the seven Seishi of Genbu and with them, summon Genbu. Genbu will then grant her three wishes and using one of them she will save Hokkan. If you truly are of another world, please become our Genbu no Miko!"

Then all that we can do is wait? We can't do _anything_ for our country; our home?All we can do is try to give Takiko as much time as possible, and hope.Fine. But we fight together. We can't have anyone else dying. I can't stand to lose anyone else. It's bad enough that Hikitsu's and Tomite are gone.Agreed. But before we begin, tell me something. Do you believe that they are gone?They aren't gone, unless we forget them. As long as we remember them, they will be alive in our hearts.

_ "They will have a green symbol that appears somewhere on their body. As you can see, you have already found one. My real name is Chamka Tan, but my seishi name is Tomite."_

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**Hatsui's POV**

Have you ever felt as if part of your soul was pulled away from you and torn apart, never to return? That was how I was feeling. I had just been sitting there, watching Takiko, when I felt part of myself be torn away. That part, was Hikitsu. I felt his life slip slowly away, never to return. And then, I knew that he was dead. At first, I wanted to go running out onto the field to see what had become of my friend, but I didn't. My duty was to protect Takiko, and I would do my duty.

It was only a few hours later when I felt Tomite's life slip through my fingers. This time, Takiko woke with a jolt.

Ha-Hatsui... Where am I? What's going on? What was that thing that I just felt? Where are–Tomite... and Hikitsu... are dead... I whispered, cutting he off. She stared at me, not believing what she had just heard.

_ "Well thank you very much for stating the obvious. And what about Takiko? And Uruki?"_

Wh..... What? Th-that can't be... Hatsui-san.... This is a very bad idea of a joke.....It's not a joke, Takiko-san. Just now....But how do you know? Her voice rose several notches as she added, If it just happened, there's no way that you possibly could have known!I felt it.But... But how?After you summoned Genbu... You fainted... Shortly afterwards, Kutou attacked in force. Because you were so exhausted and we thought it might kill you to make your first wish, we decided that we would fight until you were strong enough to make the wish. The others decided that I should stay behind in case you woke up. And now... Now... Hikitsu and Tomite are dead.....

_ W-well then... W-why are you in Kutou armor?  
_

But... I.... That.... But that's not possible.... I... I can't believe it.... I _won't_ believe it!!Whether you believe it or not, it's true, said a new voice from the door. Or at least about Hikitsu. There stood Uruki – her cheeks tearstained and her clothes covered in blood – carrying Hikitsu.

Cried Takiko. No! It can't be!I... He died to save me. Just a bit ago... It's my fault that he's dead. It's all my fault... Tears began to fill her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. It took all her will power, but she did not want to seem weak in front of these people of who's respect she had worked so hard to earn.

_ "You know very well what I mean, you old hag. Iname answered your question about Yind. Now you have to tell us who the hell you are!"_

No, Uruki. It's not your fault. Nothing's your fault, I said. But we'll get the details later. For now, Takiko must make her first wish. If she doesn't soon, the capital will be over run. If we wish to save Hokkan, Takiko, you ust make your first wish now, before it is to late. I think that Takiko would not have been able to do what she did next if she really believed that Tomite was dead. I think that she really believed that it was all a lie, or that we were mistaken. Maybe she thought the same thing about Hikitsu. Maybe she thought that he was only hurt, and not dead. I don't know. But she did the right thing, whether she believed that the two seishi were really dead or not.

Very well. If I must, then I will. Saving this land it the only reason I'm here, after all. And with that, Takiko, my miko, walked to the center of the room and said in a firm, commanding voice, 

_ "I love you too, Takiko._

"Will you marry me, Takiko? Will you stay in this world and become my wife?"

Yes, Takiko. It's me. You're safe now.

Take care of Takiko. And... Tell her that I love her.... I'm not quite sure if I ever made it quite clear enough how much I love her....  


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_End of Chapter 38_

Blegh. (Don't ask. My mom uses this word.) That was a horrible ending. Can we say... cheesy? I have no idea what has gotten into me... XP Once again, this is sort of a tribute, except this time it is to Tomite. That's why his quotes are all over the place. I actually went back and found his first quote of the story and put it in. (It's the first one. Duh.) Well, please review. More coming soon.


	39. The First Wish

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV  
  
** Takiko's voice sounded throughout the room. There was a blinding flash of green light and Genbu stood before them. Not just before Takiko. This time, Uruki and Hatsui could see their god as well. The god looked calmly from one of the three people to the other.  
  
First, for only a few moment, his gaze rested on Hikitsu's body, still in Uruki's arms. The humans looking on saw, for only a moment, pity and regret in his eyes.  
  
Then, his eyes went up to Uruki's face. She saw, to her great horror, pity in his eyes. Pity for her. She hated it when people — or gods, in this case — pitied her. Do you have something to say to me? She asked. But the god only chuckled, and did not say anything. His gaze rested on her for a moment longer before moving onto Hatsui.  
  
Hatsui did not meet his gods' eyes at first like Uruki — thinking that it would be disrespectful. But then, inside his mind, he heard a voice. _Look at me..._ it seemed to say. So he did. The corners of the gods eyes crinkled, showing that he was laughing inside, although his mouth didn't even twitch. Hatsui ignored it, bowing. The god only shook his head and rested his piercing gaze on the last person in the room.  
  
Takiko.  
  
** You called me, Genbu no Miko. What is your first wish?** He asked in a voice that made the two seishi shiver. However, Takiko stood tall and looked him straight in the eye. She wouldn't let him scare her!  
  
I wish for Hokkan to be protected for all time! From war, famine, blizzards, and anything else that may harm it's land or occupants without them wanting it! Takiko replied in a strong, clear voice.  
  
** Very well...** was all the god said in return. And with that, a blinding green light spread throughout the palace, the fighting outside the palace, and all of Hokkan. When it finally cleared, Genbu was gone as well as all of the Kutou soldiers...  
  
Meanwhile, Iname was just about to cut through another enemy when the bright green light that the author just described blinded him. When it cleared, the man of whom he was about to kill was gone. Just... gone.  
  
Wh-what in the.....?  
  
Do you mean; what just happened?' Umiyame asked. Because Wh-what in the.....?' doesn't mean what just happened?'.  
  
Um... Yeah... Whatever... Why did Umiyame have to tease someone over everything the anyone ever said?  
  
Well, to answer your question, I believe that Takiko just used her first wish and with it saved both Hokkan and our sorry asses.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**Hatsui's POV  
  
** As the green light faded, I managed to see Takiko falling. I ran forward and took over Tomite's unofficial job by catching her. She asked, her eyes glassy and unfocused.  
  
No. It's me, Hatsui.  
  
Hatsui? Oh... It hurts Hatsui-san.... It hurts so much...  
  
What hurts, Takiko? Where does it hurt? That was Uruki. She was leaning over my shoulder, a worried look on her face.  
  
All over.... She wrapped her arms around her body, shivering. It feels like something is devouring me from the inside..... _What in the....'_ I thought, but my thoughts were interrupted. For at the moment, Iname and Umiyame came through the door.  
  
You did it, Takiko! The Kutou forces are gone! Hokkan is saved! Iname cried happily. Then, both of them caught sight of Takiko.  
  
What? Are you cheating on Tomite already? I mean, just because he's dead doesn't mean that you can cheat in him... Umiyame teased. I had to admit, it probably did look like Takiko and I were in some sort of romantic... affair, or something... but that didn't mean that she had to tease Takiko! The poor girl was going through something horrible! I mean, she was far from her family and home. She had just found out the the man that she loved and one of her dearest friends was dead. I couldn't even begin to imagine how she felt. I was about to tell Umiyame off when I realized that Takiko probably hadn't even heard the comment. The girl had fainted in my arms. Genbu, now I sound like Tomite always did. I'm turning into a sap! Oh, this is not happening to me!  
  
It's not like that, Umiyame, I said softly as I stood and gently placed Takiko in her bed.  
  
Of course it's not, scoffed Umiyame. Did you really think that I was being serious. I was only joking, you fool. Kids these days...  
  
But, Hatsui, why was Takiko in your arms, anyway? Iname asked.  
  
Takiko... made her first wish. Afterwards, she fell. Hatsui caught her. She was.... She was saying that she was hurt. That it felt like something was devouring her from the inside. I... I don't know what was happening... Uruki said quietly, worry showing in her voice. The rest of us looked at her surprised. I had never heard her speak in the sort of tone. Now that I saw her, I could see the horrible grief and sadness in her eyes that I hadn't noticed until then.   
  
If only Hikitsu were here. He would know what to do.... She whispered, clutching his body even closer to her chest. Then she looked at Iname and Umiyame as if she had just remembered something. Iname, Umiyame, is Tomite really dead? When they were silent, she added, Please say that he isn't......  
  
I'm sorry, Uruki, but.... he is... He is dead...... Iname finally whispered.  
  
But where is his body?! She cried.  
  
He... We brought him to the emperor. We thought that that was where you would bring Hikitsu's..... Iname trailed off, not able to bear the look on Uruki's face.  
  
H-How can this be happening? She whispered. First Hikitsu, and now Tomite. We've gone through so much. We've survived so many battles. How could they die just as we finally reach the end? It's not right! A lone tear fought it's way out of her eye and fell down her cheek. It's so wrong....  
  
Come on, Uruki. Let's go get Hikitsu's body to the emperor... Umiyame led Uruki out of the room, leaving Iname and I alone.  
  
Iname.... How did.... Tell me how Hikitsu and Tomite died.... Tell me of their last moments.... I knew that it was asking a lot of him, but I had to know. I had to know what could possibly kill the two strongest members of the Genbu Seishi? And I wanted to know how my two dear friends had passed into the shadow realm.  
  
So he told me. I could tell that it was hard for him, especially when he told me what Tomite's last words were. But the part that he had the most trouble telling me, was Uruki's reaction to Hikitsu's death. I couldn't believe that Uruki – the strong, unfeeling Uruki that I knew so well – would act that way. It was unthinkable. At first, I didn't believe it. But finally, I had no choice. It was true.  
  
Once Iname had finished with his retelling of that afternoons events, I sat, dumbly. How could it be true? This wasn't how I had thought anything would happen when I me Takiko and the other seishi. That's right.... Hikitsu was the first of the Genbu Seishi that I met. I don't count Uruki, because she was unconscious. And now, he was dead... It seemed like ages ago that I had met him and he had brought me to meet the other members of the Genbu Seishi, but it was only a few months. These people had become my life, my family, and now two of them were gone, and we had no idea what was hurting Takiko. Hokkan was supposed to be safe now. What could possibly break the barrier that Genbu had set over his lands to keep them from danger to hurt the miko. _Only a god could do such a thing, and there are no gods here... Or are there....? Could it be? No... But.... What else could it be....?' _I thought. If it was true, we, the remaining Genbu Seishi, would turn against our god and protect our Miko with our lives. It was what the culprit had created us to do – and we would do it with all the recourses that we had. After that, only one thought ran through my mind. _What is your game, Genbu?'_  
  
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_~End of Chapter 39~_  
  
Okay... You now have my official permission to kill me. This took me **_FOREVER_** to write. I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for it to take me so long! It just sort of happened. XP Won't happen again! (I hope...) Also, thanks to all my reviewers. Especially to Ispreno for pointing out something in chapter 15. Apparently, Tomite said, Where's a prostitute? I want you all to know, I DID **NOT** WRITE THAT!! My sister, Gami-Chan, has a really sick sense of humor and sometimes she gets on my (as in, NOT HERS) computer and changes some of my files. Man, I got mad when I found out about this particular offense. After I fixed it, of course. (Yes, I'm ranting now. But this makes me really mad. She had no business on my computer!) So, if anyone finds anything else like this, please know that I didn't write it and inform me in your review. Thanks! Please review! More coming soon!


	40. Spirit Talk

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV  
  
** Hikitsu looked around himself. He was.... on Mt. Taikyoku? _H-How did I get here? And why am I floating?! And.....'_ he looked down at his hand. Through it, he could see the tiled floor of the room that he was in. _W-What?! What's going on? The last thing that I can remember is.....'_ His thoughts trailed off as he realized what was going on. Of course. He was dead. He had heard legends that Mt. Taikyoku was where the spirits of the dead went before moving on the the after live, but he had never seen any while he was training with Taiitsukun, so he had never believed them. Yes.... He knew this room. It was the same one that he had stayed in when he, Takiko, Tomite and Uruki had come to get help from Taiitsukun, so long ago. _What do I do now? Do I just wait for Taiitsukun or Genbu or whoever to come and take me away? And what is happening to Uruki and the others, now?'_ He thought.  
  
Well, well, well. What do we have here?   
  
It was, of course, Taiitsukun. But by her side was someone unexpected. Four someone's to be exact. They were the four beast gods, Suzaku, Seiryuu, Byakko, and, of course, Genbu. Hikitsu immediately bowed, but has he straightened, he sent a glare towards Seiryuu, for he was the god of the country that had attacked Hokkan and Hikitsu felt as if everything that had happened was the dragon god's fault. Seiryuu only arched his thick eyebrows and murmured something to Byakko who let a bubbly laugh except his lips.  
  
The best way to describe Byakko would probably be beautiful. The tiger god of the west had long white hair tied up in a high ponytail with two long strands hanging down in front of his eyes and a wonderful headpiece that looked a bit like a tigers claw set around it. He was wearing white armor with some gray on it. It was also covered with a swirl type pattern. Starting right above his elbows and going to his wrists were bands going around his arms that were covered white fur that was striped with a dark gray like a tigers. His eyes were golden and looked like a cats and his soft, full mouth was quicker to smile than to frown. On his high forehead, a white symbol glowed brightly.  
  
The first thing that caught Hikitsu's eyes about Suzaku were his wings. The were red, like fire, and seemed to be big enough to carry the god in flight. His armor was red with gold trimmings and his face was lovely and serene, although not quite as lovely as Byakko's. Suzaku's fiery red hair was much shorter that Byakko's, but it's style was interesting. Most of it seemed to almost stick up, although not quite, except for two strands witch fell in front of his eyes. His eyes were, three guesses, red, but, although that is usually a symbol of madness, his were calm and quiet. The phoenix god of love's eyes almost seemed to be full of the feeling that he represented and Hikitsu could see that he love the other three gods deeply and would continue to do so, no matter what happened. On Suzaku's forehead, a red symbol glowed.  
  
Hikitsu had already seen Genbu once but still found himself stunned by the way he seemed so different, yet so much like a normal human. He had straight, obsidian black hair that was tied up in a loop on the top of his head and piercing, dark green eyes. He was wearing black armor and had a strange snake, that was so dark of a green that it almost looked black, wrapped around his neck staring at anything and everything that moved. His mouth was narrow and above it was a small black mustache that matched his hair. His armor was black and had a pattern like a tortoise's shell. He looked as if he was the oldest of the four, bout it was hard to tell. After all, they were all gods. As far as Hikitsu knew, they could live forever. In the center on the god's forehead, was a glowing, green symbol.  
  
When Hikitsu saw Seiryuu, the first thing that his eyes were draws to were the gods eyes. They were a light purple, but if the light hit them in the right way they looked almost blue. But it was not their color that drew him to this part of the god. If he looked deep into them, he could see a deep sadness, pushed away again and again, but never quite leaving. It was only then that he realized something important. Gods rub off on the people who worship them. Because he was the god of war, his people were always fighting. But that did not mean that this god wanted them to. He may be cruel compared to the other gods, as was his nature in all of the legends, but that did not mean that he was bloodthirsty like everyone seemed to think he was. And the other three gods seemed to love him deeply, as if he was their brother. _Of course. They're all brothers, aren't they?'_ Hikitsu thought.  
  
Seiryuu's armor was blue with a bit of purple. His eyebrows were thick and always seemed to be frowning. His hair was blue and put up in a ponytail like Byakko's. He was not unearthly beautiful, like Byakko and Suzaku, but, like Genbu, he did have something about him that told anyone who looked at him that he was not a normal human. In the center of his forehead, a blue symbol glowed.  
  
And then, there was Taiitsukun. The old woman watched thoughtfully as her former pupil examined the gods. Especially when he looked at Seiryuu. She watched his eyes and by doing so, knew when he had found in the gods eyes what she had hoped he would discover. Even if it was only one who did not, she didn't want all the people of Hokkan to blame Seiryuu for who his people had become. She already knew that the god wished that things were not so and was hoping that when his miko came, she would make things right and show that people of Kutou that they did not have to fight to get whatever they wanted. After all, she was Seiryuu's, as well as all the others, mother, for she had created them, and mothers always want their children to be happy.  
  
Finally, Taiitsukun said, Well, Hikitsu, as you have no doubly discovered, you are dead. This is the place were seishi, mikos, emperors, and other people of such ranks come before they go on to the land of the dead. Seishi and mikos, and only seishi and mikos, have the choice to either stay here, or go the the other land, or be reborn. But, Hikitsu, I would like to offer you another choice. I would like you to stay here until another one of your fellow seishi die, whenever that may be, and then I will offer you this choice. Is that okay with you?  
Hikitsu thought about this for a moment before finally answering, At this, Byakko smiled.  
  
In that case, the god said, I believe that there is someone who wants to talk to you. In fact, my dear sister has been begging to see you since you arrived.  
  
Hikitsu asked...  
  
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**Takiko's POV  
  
** Pain. That was all that I felt. Just pain. I hurt at every part of my body. Every muscle ached. Each bone throbbed. All the I could feel in every part of my body was the massive pain the consumed it. I tried to move my arm, but the shock that was sent through my body was to much to bare.  
  
I groaned as a opened my eyes. It was dark in the room. Very dark. What had happened to me? Why was I in so much pain? I tried to think back to..... I don't know how long it had been since I was last awake. I just thought back to whenever that was, trying to find some answers in the depths of my mind. I had summoned Genbu. Yes.... That was right. And then, I had fainted, I don't know for how long. When I woke up, I had been told....... I had been told that Tomite and Hikitsu... were dead. No! That couldn't be right! But it was. At first, I hadn't believed it. But then I had seen Hikitsu's mangled body with my own eyes. And Namame and Umiyame..... they had told me.... They had told me that Tomite were dead. It was too cruel to be a joke. Too real to be a dream.  
  
Then..... I had made my first wish to Genbu. No..... I had made the wish before Namame and Umiyame had come. I had wished for Hokkan to be saved. I had completed my task. I had done as the emperor had asked me to do. But at such a price..... If Hikitsu and Tomite had to die for me to be able to make that wish, then I think that I would have rather not have made it. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. What was the use of saving thousands of people, and entire country, if I couldn't save two of the people I cared most for? No. Not just two _of_ the people I cared most for. _The_ two people I cared most for. Yes. I cared for them more then any of the other seishi. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but it's true. Tomite had saved me more than any of the others, both emotionally and physically. He was the man I loved. No one could replace him in my heart. Hikitsu was always strong when I was weak. He had been through so much, but had still managed to hold on. I could never have done that. He accepted me for who I was. To him, I was only , not the Genbu no Miko. He was the second seishi I had found and had saved me more times than I could count. He had managed to work his way just as deep into my heart as Tomite, although in a different way.  
  
Although the pain in my body hurt more than anything anyone could ever imagine, I can honestly say that the pain in my heart hurt more. I curled up into a small ball and cried for hours, and hours, and hours. I cried until I had no more tears left to cry, and then I cried in my heart just as long, just as hard. All this time I had been planning to stay in this world, but what was the point? What was the point now that Tomite and Hikitsu were gone? _I just wanted to be happy. Was that to much to ask, Genbu? Was it to much to ask to let me be with Tomite and my other friends in this world? Was that so wrong?_' I wondered. Apparently, the answer was yes, for I got no reply from the god of whom I represented. _Answer me, Genbu!'_ I cried inside my mind, but again, I got no reply. _Please.....'_ Why would he not answer me? Why did he ignore me so?  
  
If I had been in the correct state of mind, I probably would have realized that he was a god and was most likely very busy. But I was not in the correct state of mind. My body hurt like hell (no offense to any devout Christians or anyone else who believes in that sort of stuff) and I was drowning in my grief.  
  
Takiko-sama? Are you awake? A voice asked from the door. I turned and saw that it was Hatsui.  
  
I murmured.  
  
Are you all right? He asked as he walked foreword. Was I all right? Of course I wasn't All right! How could I be All right?  
  
Y-yes.... I'm fine... I lied. I didn't want to make him or any of the others worry about me, and I could see in his eyes that he was. I'm just fine...  
  
Are you sure?  
  
I answered with all the force I could muster, but I couldn't stop a small wince from pain. He didn't look very convinced. He looked at me for a moment and then said, You've been crying...  
  
H-how did you know?  
  
Your cheeks are all blotchy. And your nose is red. I should have known that he knew because of that. Some woman can cry and still look beautiful. I'm not one of them.  
  
We were both silent for a moment. Finally I asked, It's not true, is it?  
  
Is what not true?  
  
Tomite..... Tomite and Hikitsu.... They're not really dead, are they? He was silent for a while before finally saying, No, Takiko. It is true.  
  
I don't believe you...  
  
Can you stand? That surprised me. Why would he be asking me that?  
  
  
  
Can you stand?  
  
  
  
Can you?!  
  
Um..... I think so. I said, sitting up. Gingerly, I placed my feet firmly on the floor and stood. The room spun. I grabbed onto Hatsui to steady myself. Finally, the room stopped.  
  
Come with me, Hatsui said as he helped my out of the room. He led me down a long hallway, stopping every so often so that I could rest, and finally brought me to a door.  
  
Open it.  
  
  
  
I said, open it. Don't be afraid.  
  
Carefully, I opened the door. What met my eyes, is something that I will never forget.  
  
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_~End of Chapter 40~_  
  
Long chapter. Long time to get it out, too. Sorry! I did it again! ~_~ I really will try not to do it again, but I can't make any promises. Recently, my life has gotten really hectic! XP The hardest part to write was probably the descriptions of the gods. I have one color picture of them all, and I tried to describe how they looked in that, but it was really hard. ~.~ Seiryuu was particularly hard. I have never pictured him as pure evil and always thought that he was probably very grieved because of what his seishi and miko did. I tried to convey that in this. Do you think that I did a good job? Anyway, I know that it's a bit late, but happy holidays, everyone! I hope that you had a great Christmas, Chanukah, or whatever you celebrate! Please review! As a Christmas present! (Hee hee.....) ^^ More coming soon!


	41. The Love Of A Demigoddess

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV  
  
** Takiko walked slowly into the room. It was very dark. Almost as dark as her own room. The only source of light were some candles by two beds. Over one of them, sat a hunches form. From it, Takiko could hear choked sobs.  
  
Takiko walked across the room and stood beside Uruki. She gazed down onto the bed and saw Hikitsu. No. It was only Hikitsu's body, for there was no soul left. On the other bed, she could see Tomite's body. Both were dressed in a light white cloth, as was the custom of the Hokkan people.  
  
She whispered.  
  
No doubt, you refused to believe that it was true and came to see it for yourself... Uruki murmured softly. It seemed to Takiko that the girl was dealing with the loss of the two worse than she was. The girl's eyes were tearstained and bloodshot, and her skin was clammy. It looked as if she hadn't slept for days. She looked like she had when she had gotten poisoned from Miboshi's monster, so long ago.  
  
Sit down. We can deal with it together, she said when Takiko said nothing, drawing up a chair.  
  
Do you remember.... The first time that Kutou attacked? Takiko asked.  
  
How could I forget. That was when we found Hatsui and Iname.  
  
That day... Tomite promised me... He promised me that he wouldn't die... like my mother... and leave me before... before I was able to say goodbye... He lied to me.... They both did. I..... I never got to tell him... one last time.... how much I loved him... how much I cared... I'm sure if I.... If I ever really conveyed to him... just how much I truly loved – No –love him... Sure, I said it, but I don't think that he really knew how much.... Takiko whispered between sobs.  
  
I... I also never got to tell Hikitsu how much I loved him one last time... Uruki finally said. But... The difference is... I never got to tell him at all. In his last moments, he tried to tell me something, but he wasn't able to finish before he.... She paused, but forced herself to go on, before he died. And then... I found out about Tomite.... I didn't love him, like you did, but he was still special to me... He was my friend. And now they're both....... She stopped and collapsed into tears. Takiko wrapped her arms around her seishi and both of them rocked back and fourth, sobbing in each others arms.  
  
From the doorway, Hatsui watched them. _Right now, I think.... I think that what they need most is someone else who understands their pain. All of us don't know quite what they're going through. To us, Hikitsu and Tomite were our comrades, and our friends, but nothing more. But to those two.... To those two, they were much more.'_ And with that thought, he walked off down the hall, to leave the two girls in peace and to go mourn for his fallen comrades...  
  
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**Hikitsu's POV  
  
** Hikitsu asked. Byakko only smiled and, with a flick of his finger, the door opened to reveal Nyan-Nyan.  
  
About thirty of her yelled as they all rushed over to him, crowding around him.  
  
N-Nyan-Nayn? Wh- What in the? As he tried to gather his scrambled thoughts, he did remember Nyan-Nyan mentioning something like herself being the sister of the gods once when he was training with Taiitsukun.  
  


~*~  


  
_ Nyan-Nyan! Come here! Taiitsukun wants you!  
  
Now, now... Is that anyway to talk to a demigoddess?  
  
A what?  
  
A demigoddess! It means that I'm not a full goddess, but I'm in training to become one!  
  
Oh really.... And why would that be?  
  
Because I'm the sister of the four gods, silly! Taiitsukun created the four gods, so they're also her children, but afterwards, she decided that she wanted a girl. The four gods were only demigods then, so they were still very young. All four of them were very playful and sometimes acted really bad back then, or so I am told! So they all decided that Taiitsukun would make me too boring and used their power to put some fun into me! And Taiitsukun says that's why I'm so crazy! But I'm not really crazy, am I, Hikitsu? I mean, I may be the sister if the four gods and the daughter of Taiitsukun, but that doesn't make me crazy!  
  
Whatever. Just come here.  
  
I'll come if you can catch me!  
  
  
  
  
_

~*~  


  
N-Nyan-Nyan.... I can't breathe... You're smothering me.... I managed to get out, despite the many Nyan-Nyan's on top of me.  
  
Silly! You're dead! You don't have to breath!  
  
Perhaps, but I find not being able to a bit unsettling...  
  
She muttered darkly turning back into one Nyan-Nyan. Then, She looked at her brothers and mother.   
  
Well what? Asked Seiryuu irritably.  
  
Would you mind?  
  
Mind what? The dragon god replied even more irritably.  
  
Why, leaving us **_alone_**, of course!  
  
Luckly for Nyan-Nyan, before Seiryuu could give a pert reply, Suzaku answered, Of course we will, and walked out of the room. The other three gods and Taiitsukun had no choice but to follow.  
  
Nyan-Nyan looked at me. I can't believe it! She yelled.  
  
  
  
I can't belive that _you_, the almighty Hikitsu, **_died_**!  
  
I said. I refused to let myself say, Well thank you for rubbing it in my face! That was something that Tomite would say. Or even Umiyame; only a bit meaner if it was her. But I was most certainly thinking it.  
  
But still, I'm so happy! Now you'll stay here with me forever!  
  
W-Well..... I'm not sure about that....  
  
What? Why?  
  
Well... Taiitsukun said that she may have something for me to do before I stay here or go to heaven. And after that, if the rest of my fellow seishi stay here, then so will I. But if they go to heaven, then that is where I would like to go as well.  
  
No! You can't go to heaven!  
  
And why not? Besides, I'll be staying here untill Taiitsukun tells me what she wants me to do!  
  
No! That's not good enough!  
  
Nyan-Nyan! Stop acting like a spoiled little kid!  
  
But... But I've waited so long.... You can't leave me now...  
  
I already told you, I may stay here forever after I've compleated my mission. Besides, I'm not leaving immediately. And what do you mean by I've waited so long'?  
  
Don't you understand, yet? After all these years, haven't you seen? Nyan-Nyan was unusually quiet as she said this.  
  
  
  
Hikitsu.... I.... I love you, Hikitsu. I've loved you for a long time....  
  
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_~End of Chapter 41~_  
  
Ack! I did it again! This also took forever to get out! Sorry! But this time, I have a reasion. Yay! My eenternet has been acting up so I couldn't get it up or e-mail it to my beta. My dad just got it fixed.  
  
I know that the ending was a bit sudden, but Nyan-Nyan hasn't been in this story enough for me to really develop that. Origionaly, I was planning to make Hikitsu fall in love with her too, but then I decided to go with Uruki. Also, I hinted at this in chapter nine when I was talking about Taiitsukun. Of course, it's been a while and I wouldn't blame you if you've forgotten.  
  
More coming soon! Please review!


	42. Meetings of the Dead

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
**A/N:** I'M BACK!!! Sorry I took such a long break everyone! I'll try not to take another one. ^^ I told you that I wouldn't stop!  
  
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**Narrator's POV**  
  
Hikitsu stared at Nyan-Nyan. He asked.  
  
I love you Hikitsu. I've loved you for a long time.  
  
  
  
Please don't leave me, Hikitsu, she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist in a tight hug. I've waited so long. Now I finally have my chance. Please, stay with me. Stay with me forever.  
  
Nyan-Nyan.... I..... Hikitsu thought deeply. He didn't want to hurt Nyan-Nyan. But he didn't love her back, and he couldn't lie to her. Finally, he said the only thing that he could. I love you too. Nyan-Nyan's face lit up with joy. But not in the same way that you love me. Nyan-Nyan, I'm sorry but..... My heart already belongs to another. I love you... But only as a sister. There. he had done it. He had told her the truth. But in doing so, he had crushed her heart. _Please forgive me, Nyan-Nyan,' _he thought. But Nyan-Nyan didn't say anything. She simply stood and floated out of the room.  
  
No one came in after Nyan-Nyan left and Hikitsu was left alone with his thoughts. He thought about many things.  
  
His family and old friends, now long gone.  
  
Sora.  
  
Takiko.  
  
Tomite.  
  
Hatsui.  
  
Namame.  
  
Iname.  
  
Umiyame.  
  
The emperor.  
  
Kuro.  
  
Namame's parents.  
  
Taiitsukun.  
  
Nyan-Nyan.  
  
Suzaku.  
  
Byakko.  
  
Seiryuu.  
  
Genbu.  
  
Uruki's grandfather.  
  
All the brave Hokkan soldiers who had fought and died for their country.  
  
He thought of all these people, whether they be big or small. Each of them had helped himself and the other Genbu Seishi on their quest, in their own way. But mostly, more than any of those other things, he thought of Uruki. Oh, how he regretted not being able to say the one thing that mattered the most in his final moments. How he wished that he could have forced out those last two words. Well, he got out a bit of the second to last one, but he wasn't able to finish it....  
  
Hikitsu sat there for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was only a few hours. After that, he was joined by someone who he didn't expect.  
  
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**Tomite's POV**  
  
Slowly, I opened my eyes.  
  
Wait. How did I do that? I was dead... wasn't I?  
  
I sat up. I was in a room. Hikitsu knelt on the floor a ways away from me, his head bent. Wait.... Hikitsu? He was dead. I'd watched him die! But... Even if he hadn't died, something was wrong... He was... I could... See through him. But... How? How was that possible? I mean, I couldn't see through him very well, but I definitely could.  
  
Hikitsu turned quickly. I think that I took him by surprise, but you can never be sure with him. Genbu, does that man ever show any emotions?  
  
What are you doing here? He asked.  
  
I could ask you the same thing. You're supposed to be dead!  
  
Yes. This is the place where the dead go.  
  
Ah... No wonder.  
  
But... You can?t be...  
  
Sorry, Hikitsu. I died just a few hours after you did.  
  
But... how....  
  
And so I told him. I told him about how Namame and I had been trapped. How I had convinced my desperate plan. Everything. I can only hope that Iname got away after I died. If he didn't, he'll be joining us in a few minutes. I finished.  
  
I'm sure that he did. Iname is strong... Very strong, even if he doesn't realize it himself.  
  
Yeah. All of us are. Or, in our case, _were_ strong.  
  
You don't believe that, do you?  
  
Of course I do. It's true, isn't it?  
  
Yes. But I can tell that you don't believe it. You don't think that you're strong, do you? I paused for a long time. It was true. I was weak. And even Hikitsu could see it.  
  
No. I'm weak. But the rest of you are strong, and that's what really matters.  
  
  
  
He said this so forcefully that I jumped. Hikitsu never talked like that! He never showed his emotions! How can you think that when you've proven yourself more than any of us? You've shown again and again that your stronger that all of us! You've saved Takiko more than any of us. Heck, you've saved all of us at some time or another.  
  
  
  
So how could you think that you're weak?  
  
Do... Do you remember when Kutou first attacked.  
  
There was a pause before he said,   
  
I promised her... I promised Takiko that I wouldn't die before she could say goodbye. I broke that promise today. She wasn't there when I died. It was just me and Iname. I can't even begin to imagine what she's going through right now. I've never broken a promise... until now. Until I broke the most important one.  
  
Once again, there was a very long pause before he spoke again.  
  
Tomite, you are strong. Very strong. I... I also promised Takiko that... But I didn't keep it either. And... You were – no... _are_ – not only strong, you were brave.  
  
You're bra--  
  
Hikitsu interrupted. You could tell the one that you love how you felt. I may be strong physically. I may be able to fight better than most. I may be able to charge into a battle without a second thought. But I still have much to learn.  
  
Hikitsu... You idiot. You're smarter than me. I still have much to learn from you. You will always be a better fighter than me.  
  
Maybe so. But you will probably always be a better person that me  
  
  
  
I do not have to learn about fighting. I still have much to learn in matters of the heart. You were able to tell Takiko how you felt about her. For that, I have always envied you.  
  
You.... Envied me.  
  
Yes, Tomite. You're always so open. You can always show just how your feeing. I have never been able to do that. Not since... Sora died. I forced myself to think that I had gotten over her. But I really did so only recently. I did so by falling in love with another. But even in the end, I wasn't able to tell her just how much I love her.  
  
  
  
  
  
*Ahem*  
  
We both turned. In the doorway, stood Taiitsukun and the four beast gods.  
  
Forgive me for interrupting your little chat. Welcome, Tomite. We have much to talk about.  
  
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_~End of chapter 42~_  
  
I like this chapter. I really have no idea why. But even after I decided that my break was over, it took me forever to write this. Hee hee. Man. I'd better wrap up this fic soon. It's already 42 chapters! I'm trying, everyone! But there's a of loose ends to tie up! Sorry. Well, more coming soon. Please review!


	43. Shinzi Thing A Mabob Thing

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV**  
  
Wait... Let me get you straight. You want us to go to some cave on some mountain out in the middle of nowhere and guard a shinzi-thing-a-mabob thing for who knows how long? Asked Tomite.  
  
To summarize it, yes. And it's called a shinzaho, not a shinzi-thing-a-mabob, Taiitsukun replied, looking at the two Genbu seishi's spirits sitting in front of her. After Takiko has left this world, three others like her will come. One of them will have use for this shinzaho as well as one other. This was said by Byakko.  
  
Why will they need it? And besides that, what exactly is a shinzaho? Hikitsu asked.  
  
When a miko couples with a god, one of the objects that she has will be filled with great power. Each of the mikos will have one, but the item will be different for each one of them. Two of items is enough to summon any of the four gods, as long as you have the miko. If one or more of the seishi die before the god is summoned, or if the scroll is destroyed, a miko must collect two shinzahos so that she can summon the god. Currently, there is only one shinzaho, for Takiko is the only miko that has ever appeared in this world, so Genbu is the only god that has been summoned. Takiko was lucky. She didn't need any shinzahos to summon her god. If she had, I'm afraid that all would have been doomed for Hokkan unless the country could have found some way to defeat Kutou on their own. I can only hope that the next miko, whether it be the Suzaku, Byakko or Seiryuu no Miko, will have as much luck.  
  
But why do we have to guard it? Why can't you keep it here in Mt. Taikyoku?  
  
If the miko messes up by getting one of her seishi killed, or losing the scroll, then she must manage to prove to herself, her god, and her country that she is worthy to be a miko once again. If she is brave enough to find two shinzahos, retrieve them, and summon the god, then, and only then, she is worthy to be a miko, Seiryuu said in a harsh voice.  
  
But then why don't we just leave it somewhere and wait for the mikos to find it?  
  
This was, of course, Tomite. Hikitsu had to stop himself from hitting the boy on the head for being such an idiot. Of course, if he had, his fist probably would have just gone right through him.  
  
Because, Tomite, this shinzaho thing is powerful, and probably very valuable. There are bound to be people who pretend to be mikos and go up and take it. They could probably even get a bunch of fake seishi to go along with them to make the act even more convincing, Hikitsu said, exasperated.  
  
"Oh..... I didn't think of that..... Tomite said. It was obvious to Hikitsu that his friends mind was somewhere else, and he thought that he knew where it was. Tomite was thinking of Takiko, no doubt. That was where his mind always was these days.  
  
Approximately three hours later, Hikitsu and Tomite were left alone in the room to ponder what their decision would be. Tomite looked at Hikitsu and Hikitsu knew that if he said yes, so would Tomite, if he said no, Tomite would stay with him. The Genbu seishi would not leave each other alone, even if all but two of them were far away. They wouldn't be alone as long as they had each other.  
  
Hikitsu knew that it was up to him. But he also knew what he had to do.  
  
Tomite, I'm going to do it. Will you go with me? Of course, he already knew the answer, but he wouldn't decide something for the younger seishi. Hikitsu knew Tomite well enough to know that if he did so, Tomite might get mad and decide not to just to prove him wrong. However, Tomite also knew Hikitsu insanely well from the many hours they had spent together.  
  
I think that you already know the answer to that question, he said. Hikitsu gave him that small smile that he so rarely let cross into his strict features.  
  
Well, I can't say that you're wrong.  
  
But your not going to admit that I'm correct, right?  
  
  
  
So, lets go tell the hag.  
  
Y'know, you really shouldn't call her that. She _is_ stronger than you.  
  
Do you really think that's going to stop me?  
  
Not really, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't try.  
  
Right. Lets go tell the ha--.......... Taiitsukun now.  
  
  
  
They found Taiitsukun easily enough in her mirror room. She said in her old, and sometimes mildly frightening voice (especially frightening to children and small dogs).  
  
We'll do it, Hikitsu said.  
  
Very well...  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**Tomite's POV**  
  
I did want to go with Hikitsu to that cave to protect that shinzaho thing – I wouldn't have it any other way – but there was something that I had to ask Taiitsukun for before I left. It wasn't until that night that I got a chance to talk to her alone.   
Before I could say anything, she was already talking to me. You want to ask me for a favor before you leave, don't you.  
  
Um... Yeah.  
  
"So... What is it?  
  
Well... I want to be able to keep a promise that I broke.  
  
Ah... A promise to Takiko?  
  
Yes. I want to be able to see her. Just... My voice stopped involuntary as my throat closed up. I cleared it and continued. Just one last time.  
  
You realize that if I do this for you, and I haven't said that I will, that you will only be a spirit. She won't be able to see you – although she may feel your presence – unless her love for you is much stronger than I think that it is.  
  
Are you saying that we don't love each other?  
  
No. You two are soul mates. You belong together and love each other more than anything else in the world. But not only does it take more love to see a spirit than you can possibly imagine, she would also have to have a amazingly strong will and be in perfect health, which I believe that you will find that she is not.  
  
What?! What happened to her?! Is she going to be okay?!  
  
Oops. I shouldn't have said that.  
  
Well, you did, so what's wrong with her?!  
  
I can not tell you that. Now, do you still want me to let you see her, or not?  
  
  
  
She paused for a while before finally saying, Very well...  
  
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_~End of Chapter 43~ _  
  
Hee hee. This is a short chapter. Sorry everyone. Also, I know that I just said that I was going to wrap everything up and now I've added another thing, but when I thought of this I just couldn't resist. Besides, this is supposed to be a romance story as well as an action, but it really doesn't have much of the stuff. So the next chapter may have a bit of fluff in it. Maybe not, but oh well.  
  
Also, I just got my first flame ever a few days ago, and I would like to bring up some of the things that Shinshoku Lose Control said to me, for she/he didn't leave an e-mail address so that I could reply to them properly.  
  
First, they said that I had way to many POV changes. I realize that I did in my earlier chapter, but now I've narrowed it down to no more than two per chapter. That's not to much, is it? I mean, I've already fixed that, right? And if any of you read the A/N that I posted on the first chapter (even if most of you didn't), I'm going to rewrite the first chapters after I'm completely done. So I'm not quite sure why they said this.  
  
Then, they told me that I was writing about a stupid subject because most of the characters don't appear in the story. Y'know what I say to that? So what? Without Takiko and the Genbu Seishi, Suzaku and Seiryuu never would have been summoned because Yui wouldn't have gotten the shinzaho. There for, even if they don't appear, they're still important characters, right? Besides, by writing this, I'm trying to answer one of the questions of FY. What happened to them?  
  
Then she said that my chapters were to short. She said that chapter 42 couldn't have been 10 words. Well, I'll have you know that it was 1187 words. Also, she mentioned me listing a bunch of the characters and said that I only did it to make the chapter longer. That is NOT TRUE! Personally, I go for quality over quantity, thank-you-very-much. At first, I was going to make the list just one big paragraph, but then I thought that putting each character alone would make thme stand out more. I never do something just to make my chapters longer. Also, they're much longer than some people's chapters. I've seen fics that literally have 10 words per chapter. Okay... Only one. But that was enough. And even that fic had superb writing. It didn't really make the fic worse. It was just annoying.  
  
And lastly, she said the most insulting thing of all. She said, Oh, and you act really self-centered in your author's notes. Like absolutely everyone wants to read this and loves it or something. I know that a lot of people don't like this fic. If more people liked it, then I'd probably get more reviews. Most stories about the Genbu Seishi get (literally) hundreds of reviews. And in reviews, your not supposed to insult (or complement) the author, but what they write. My sister has been insulting me for years, and that I'm self centered has come up before. But she's my sister, and she'll say anything to hurt my feelings, so I've never taken it to heart. But hearing it from someone else, even though I don't know that at all, really brings me down. Sorry guys, but this is really pissing me off, and I have to get it out of my system. If you don't like this fic, then don't read it. It's just pointless to read something that you don't like.  
  
Oh yes. I won't bring this up again. I'm sure that I've just bored you all to death. I just had to say all that. But now that I've gotten it all out, I won't rant and rave about it again.  
  
More coming soon. Please review!


	44. One Last Goodbye

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV**  
  
Tomite sat on the ground as Taiitsukun chanted something in a strange, guttural tongue. Hikitsu was also there, but only to watch. Slowly, the already transparent form of Tomite disappeared completely. Taiitsukun turned to her disciple, harsh tones softer as she spoke.   
  
Don't you want to go with him? You also have one that you love there where he is, do you not want to see her?  
  
I will not go.  
  
But why?  
  
If I go, I will never want to leave. If I stay, I will only hurt her. Besides, knowing Uruki, she will try to see me when she cannot. Who knows what she will try. I do not want to risk it. I will not risk hurting her again.  
  
  
  
No, Taiitsukun. Besides, eventually, my feelings will just fade away... Hikitsu didn't sound too sure of himself, though.  
  
Meanwhile, Tomite found himself floating above the palace. Now, all I need to do is find Takiko, he said to no one in particular. Quickly he floated down and through the outside wall, going towards Takiko's room. But on the way, he met someone unexpected. As he rounded a corner, he zoomed right through someone.  
  
"What the--  
  
He turned and saw, to his surprise, Uruki.  
  
That was weird. Almost as if my body turned to ice for a second... she mused aloud. Oh well. It must have been my imagi........ She trailed off. At the corners of her awareness, she could sense something. But it couldn't be... He was dead... Could it?  
  
Uruki whirled around. Tomite! Tomite! Come out here! Tomite! Tomite...? But of course, all she could see was air. I... I must be going crazy. He..... He's dead.... Tomite stared at her. She had sensed him, but not seen him... Just as Taiitsukun had said. He slowly floated up to her. He hadn't been able to see it before, but now he could see how awful she looked.  
  
_Has she been..... Crying?'_ He thought. It couldn't be. He couldn't imagine such a thing! But he could see the tear streaks on her cheeks. And they were blotchy, too.  
  
He said softly. But he didn't have time to dawdle. He wanted to stay and do whatever he could for his friend, but Taiitsukun had put him on a time limit and he had to get to Takiko, so he sped off. He turned a sharp corner and in front of him was Takiko's door. Instead of speeding, like he had been all over the rest of the palace, he slowed down and floated slowly into the room. On the bed lay Takiko, curled up into a small ball. She was whimpering, and he could see that the thin bed gown was soaked in sweat.  
  
_What's wrong with her?' _He thought, quickly floating over to her.  
  
  
  
Oh, Genbu... It hurts... Oh.... What's happening to me? She looked at her shoulder, and both of them could see the faint outline of ivory-green tortoiseshell. She whimpered again in pain and fear. Tomite floated up to her, his heart breaking. It hurt so much to see her like this. He tried to put a hand on her shoulder – tried to comfort her – but his hand only went through her body, making her shiver even more violently.  
  
Suddenly, her body went rigid and she screamed.  
  
Tomite yelled.   
  
He didn't know what was going on. He didn't know what to do. All that he could do was sit there. He yelled over and over again. And that's when he saw it; the area of green-white expanding slowly, now engulfing parts of her neck and upper arm. He knew that couldn't be good. He had to stop this. But how?  
  
TAKIKO! TAKIKO, STOP! Tears were running down her cheeks. She screamed again. And the shell print widened.  
  
She stopped as suddenly as she began, still sobbing.  
  
she whispered.  
  
_Can she see me?'_ Tomite thought, surprised. But soon his hopes were dashed.  
  
Oh, Tomite... Why did you have to leave me... why now, when I need you most?  
  
He whispered. He didn't expect anything to happen when he said that, but her head snapped up.  
  
  
  
Takiko! You can hear me?  
  
But... How?  
  
You won't be able to see me, so don't try. I'm only a sprit, here to give you my last goodbyes.  
  
But... But Tomite... I want to see you... I need to see you... Tomite....  
  
I know, Takiko. But there's nothing I can do.  
  
A single tear rolled slowly down her cheek.  
  
Oh, Takiko, don't cry. Please don't cry." Tomite tried to wrap his arms around her, but he only went through her. Please... Don't cry...  
  
I'm scared, Tomite. Something's happening to me. But I don't know what. What's happening to me, Tomite? What's happening to me?!  
  
I.... I don't know...  
  
That's what everyone says. That's what everyone says! But what am I supposed to do? Just wait for it to go away? Tomite didn't know what to say. There wasn't really anything to say. So instead, he offered a prayer to Genbu. _Genbu... If you will grant this one wish, I will never, ever bother you again. I know that you can't save Takiko. For all I know, you're causing her illness. But please, let her see and touch me, one last time.'_' He didn't expect to get an answer back. But inside his head, the god talked to him.  
  
**_Tomite... You ask for much... You have already asked to see her so that you could say goodbye, and now you ask for me to make you a mortal man, even for only a few moments. However, I do owe you...'_**  
  
_Owe... Me...?'_  
  
**_Yes. For as you guessed, I have caused your miko's illness. So... I will grant your wish. But Tomite, do not get used to such favors. I have the feeling that I've been spoiling you and your fellow seishi.' _**  
  
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**Takiko's POV**  
  
Tomite didn't answer me. I didn't know where he was. I stuttered. No answer. Where was he? Had he left me here alone? Had he only been my imagination? I turned my head, looking for him, even though I knew that I wouldn't be able to see him. But he was nowhere. Finally I curled back up into a ball, trying to endure the pain that was going through my body. It felt like I was being eaten alive from the inside out. Oh, Genbu it hurt. I whimpered, shutting my eyes tighter.  
  
Despite all the pain, I still felt the hand that rested on my shoulder, the gentle warmth radiate through the... things... that were already growing out of my skin. I turned. It was Tomite. I could see him!  
  
He wrapped his arms around my waist and I wrapped my arms around his neck. I'm sorry Takiko. I'm so sorry.  
  
Why are you sorry?  
  
Because.... I lied to you. I left you before you could say goodbye to me...  
  
Is that all?  
  
  
  
I forgave you for that the moment I heard your voice. It would be impossible for me not to. I love you to much.  
  
I love you, too.  
  
I know.  
  
And he kissed me. I wanted that moment to last forever, but all good things must end, I suppose. Slowly, he began to become transparent. My hands slipped through his body.  
  
I... I have to go now... My time is up. Good bye.  
  
Goodbye. I... I love you.  
  
I love you, too. I always have, I always will. And with that, he was gone. I just stared at the place where he had been, and cried. It was all I could do...   
  
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_~End of Chapter 44~_  
  
Okay. No more side tracking. I know that this entire thing was pointless, but, heck, I liked it. Also, I'm sorry if it seems like I'm just dragging this all out. I'm really not trying to. There's just so much to wrap up. But then why am I writing useless chapters like this, right? *sigh* Whatever.   
  
Also, after I complained about that flame, I got a lot of encouraging reviews. I would like to thank all of you so much. I really couldn't ask for a better group of people to have reading a fic. The only way that I can really thank you is to get more chapters out, so I'll get writing! Thank you so much!!! ^_^ More coming soon. Please review!


	45. The Second Wish

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV**  
  
The huge double doors opened, revealing the room inside. Well... Here we are... Our new home... said Tomite gloomily. Hikitsu nodded grimly.  
  
"I suppose so..." There was a long pause in which neither of them said anything before Hikitsu looked up at Taiitsukun, who had come with them.  
  
"...Taiitsukun, we don't have the shinzaho. How can we guard something that we don't have?" he asked.  
  
"Don't worry. I will send someone with it."  
  
"Send someone...?" This was Tomite.  
  
"But won't that 'someone' not be able to see us, since we're spirits?" Hikitsu asked at the same time.  
  
"Not in this cave," the creator said. "This cave is special. It has been enchanted so that humans can see spirits if they're inside of it."  
  
The three of them walked further inside of it until they came to the huge doors at the end of the cavern. "This is where the Shinzaho will be kept," Taiitsukun said as she opened the door. "Once I leave, only your wills will open the door." They walked in and even Hikitsu's breath was taken away. The room was truly beautiful. Taiitsukun talked, explaining all of their duties, as the two seishi explored their new home. Finally, after what seemed like days, and probably was, for there was no way to know how much time passed in the cave, she left, giving them one last warning. "Remember, you can not leave this cave. If you do, you will never make it to Heaven once your duity is done. I will come to check up on you every few hundred years...." There was a long pause before she slowly added, "Good luck."  
  
"We don't need luck," Tomite assured her.  
  
"Nonsense. Everyone needs luck," Taiitsukun replied.  
  
"Not us," Hikitsu answered grining much to everyone's surprise. Taiitsukun only smiled, and reluctantly closed the door, locking them in for who knew how long.  
  
"So... What now..." Asked Tomite.  
  
"I suggest that you work on that patience of yours, Tomite, for now we wait."  
  
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**Takiko's POV**  
  
She came to me in a dream, telling me of the Shinzaho. Taiitsukun. She told me that I could not go to where two people were to guard the treasure, but that I must send another to where they waited. That I must send someone else with the Shinzaho. She even told me where it was.  
  
Mt. Black.  
  
I woke up with a start. Immediately, the pain returned. It was always with me, eating away at me. Destroying me. An indescribable pain, worse than anything that I had ever imagined.  
  
I had been thinking the last few days, and I had finally decided what my second wish would be. I no longer wanted to be in this world. I wanted to go home. I wanted to be where my father and so many of my friends were. I no longer wanted to be reminded of all the horrible things that had happened here. I was going to wish... To go home.  
  
But I would not leave all of my friends in this world without one last goodbye. Weakly, I called for a servant.  
  
"Please... Bring the remaining Genbu Seishi and the emperor here," I said, my voice raspy.  
  
"Yes, Miko-sama," she said and hurried away. Soon, the seven people were gathered around my bed.  
  
"What is it, Takiko-san?" Asked Uruki, looking concerned.  
  
"I... I want to say goodbye to you all. And thank you. For everything." Namame, at least, took what I said the wrong way.  
  
"No!" He yelled. "You can't die! You can't give up! You have to keep fighting!"  
  
Despite the pain, I giggled. It was the first time that I had laughed since the summoning of Genbu.  
  
"I... I'm not going to die, Namame. I'm going.... to go home."  
  
"But... How...?"  
  
"I'm going to use my second wish to Genbu."  
  
"But you can't! You're too weak!"  
  
"Face it, Hatsui-san. I'm not getting any better here. And I'm homesick. I miss my father, and all of my friends. I've been away too long. If I stay here, I'll never get any better. Maybe even if I go home I won't get better. But if I must die, I want to be home. In my world." Nobody said anything for a while. Strangely enough, it was Umiyame who finally spoke.  
  
"I do not know of this other world that you speak of. I do not know what it is like, or where it is. But, I do know, that home is where you have friends and family. You and I have not known each other long, but we are family. We are all family. So no matter where you are, Takiko-sama, you will always be home."  
  
"As much as I hate to admit it, the old hag's right," Iname, who had taken Tomite's place as the one Umiyame like to tease, said. Then, he added as an afterthought, "For once."  
  
"Tut tut. You should learn to treat your elders with more respect," retorted  
Umiyame, reverting from her serious mode back to her more normal mode of teasing everyone.  
  
"Thank you, Umiyame," I said. "I'll keep that in mind. But... The home that I'm talking about is the one that I was born into. I have been here much to long. Besides, I think that the mikos are supposed to go back to their world once they have summoned the beast god."  
  
"No!" Yelled Uruki. "You can't just... Just leave! We need you! Hokkan needs you!"  
  
"No, Uruki-san. You _needed_ me. Hokkan _needed_ me. You don't need me anymore. Once I'm gone, you can go home. You can all go home."  
  
"But--"  
  
"I'm going. There's nothing that any of you can do to stop me. I don't belong in the world. Now," I pulled the necklace that Tomite had given me the day that I had first summoned Genbu out and handed to to Uruki. "Once I'm gone, I want you to take this to a mountain. It's called Mt. Black. There, you will find someone waiting for you. You must give it to him."  
  
"But... Why? Tomite gave you this. It's a symbol of his love to you."  
  
"I know, but I have to do this. The one at Mt. Black will explain everything to you. But now... I'm going home."  
  
"Taki--"  
  
"_Kaijin_."  
  
The room was filled with green light and Genbu appeared before his servants a second time.  
  
"What is your second wish, my miko?"  
  
"Genbu, I wish for you to take me home. Take me back to my world!"  
  
"Very well..." The green light that Genbu glowed in began to expand until it had engulfed me. I felt just like I had when I was first transported here. My body was filled with that same warmth.  
  
"Thank you, everyone. Thank you for everything. I'll never forget you. And please... Don't forget me," I said as I disappeared.  
  
"Of course we won't forget you! You're our miko!" Namame shouted after me.  
  
"No... Not as the miko. Just... Just Takiko. That's all I want you to remember me as." And then, everything was gone, and all that I saw was a sea of green...  
  
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_~End of Chapter 45~_  
  
Well, Takiko's finally going home. It's really about time that I made this happen, isn't it? Geez. There's really not much to say about this chapter. Well, please review. More coming soon!


	46. Meeting Death With Open Arms

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV**  
  
As Einosuke read those last words, he felt a great wave of relief flow through him. Takiko was finally coming home. She was going to be fine. Everything was going to be okay again.  
  
The same bright green light that had swallowed Takiko up only a few weeks ago came shooting out of the book once again, knocking Einosuke backwards. After his eyes had healed, he could see his daughter, his Takiko, lying on the floor, green lightning playing through her clothes and hair.  
  
She was wearing strange clothes. They looked almost...Chinese. Wait... They were Chinese, weren't they.  
  
_ So I was right. She did go into the book. I wasn't being delusional after all,'_ Einosuke thought. He had been a bit afraid that he was only going crazy and that Takiko was somewhere else ñ possibly even lost or kidnapped. He rushed over to her and picked her up in his arms. Slowly, her eyelashes flickered and her eyes opened.  
  
"F-F-Fath-ther?" She asked weakly.  
  
"Yes, Taki-chan," he said using his childhood nickname for her. He hadn't called her that since her mother had died, but now he did. "It's me. You're home. You're finally home."  
  
"Thank Genbu," she replied slowly, using the name of the god that she had served. He didn't know why, but this surprised him. Before she went into that book, she would have said "Thank God", but now, she used Genbu. It was a small thing, but it really brought into focus for him how much she had changed while she was in that book. He shrugged it off. He had more important things to think about at that moment.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Oh, Father... It hurts. It hurts so much... I didn't know that anything could hurt this much. Oh...! Oh... It hurts even more than before. Please, Father, make it stop. Make it stop. You can do anything, right? Make it stop!" She screamed in pain and agony, her scream ripping Einosuke apart.  
  
"No... I'm so sorry, Taki-chan. I... I can't do anything... I..."  
  
She screamed again.  
  
_What can I do? This is all my fault. If I had been a better father... If I hadn't given her that book.... If it weren't for me, she wouldn't be in such pain. What can I do? There must be something that I can do to help her,' _Einosuke thought, his eyes flying around the room in search of something, anything, that may help his daughter. His eyes rested on the book. Quickly, he reached over to it, flipping open the pages.  
  
"_And so, the god of the north, Genbu, continued to devour the Genbu no Miko, taking her young life as well as her body._" He read.  
  
"Oh... Taki-chan..." And now, he finally realized that there was nothing he could do. He could not challenge the power of a god, even if he would do so to save his daughter. He took her upstairs into her bedroom, trying to make her feel at home; as if nothing had happened to her.  
  
Einosuke didn't think that his daughter had heard him read what the book said, but she had.  
  
"Father...." She said as she lay on her bed, panting from the battle raging on within her.  
  
"What is it, Takiko?"  
  
"I... I want you... to do one final thing... for me... Before I... die..."  
  
"Anything."  
  
"I... I know that it will... be hard for you... but..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I want...you to...kill me."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**Takiko's POV**  
  
I know that what I asked him was the worst thing that I had ever asked of anyone, but I had to do it. The pain... You have no idea how painful it was. I would rather be dead than have to deal with that pain. And it wasn't only the pain that my body was enduring. It was also the pain that my heart was enduring. Leaving the book world with so many of my friends. Hikitsu dying. It was all to much. But the hardest thing of all was loosing Tomite. If I died, I'd be with him again, right? And Hikitsu, too. I wanted to see them so much!  
  
And I would.  
  
I can still remember that time that I was on the verge between life and death. I can still remember all those people that I saw in that strange garden; My mother, Yoshi; Kuro; A girl that had to be Yind with their son; And so many others. And now Tomite and Hikitsu would be there too. They would be waiting for me. I could see him now. Tomite, with his arms held out just waiting for me to rush into them. A smile on his lips.  
  
"Takiko!" He would say. And he would tell me how much he loved me...Oh, I had to see him. I just had to. If I had to, I would wait a thousand years for him, but if there was any way to see him sooner then I would take in a second, despite how horrible it may be.  
  
And the pain. You have no idea how painful it was. I just wanted it to stop. Is that so wrong? Is it so wrong to just want everything to stop? I know that asking a father to kill his daughter was a horrible thing to do, but I just had to. I had to. I would die anyway. This would only make it go quicker and be less painful.  
  
"Please. I... I want to see him again, Father. I want to see Tomite, and... and Hikitsu."  
  
"Their just characters in a book, Takiko! They're not even real!"  
  
"But they are to me. I... They're my friends. All of them. I know that they're just characters in a book to you, Father, but they're more than that to me. They all have feelings. They each have their own past and have gone through hardships. They all have or have had families who they love very much. They cry and bleed, even fall in love. Each one of them has risked their life for me before and I would do the same for them. Maybe they don't exist in this world. Maybe they're just characters in paper to   
you. Maybe you don't feel that they're really real; that they really exist. But they exist to me. To me they're all human. They're all my friends.  
  
Father, I... I love Tomite. And Hikitsu too, just not in the same way. I love them all. I love them as friends. Now, I will never see any of them again. The only way for me to see any of them is to die. Father, I want to die. I want to see them again. And... And it hurts, Father. It just hurts   
so much. So... So please...."  
  
"I understand Takiko," my father said, but I could tell that it hurt him to do so.  
  
"Thank you." He raised a knife over my heart. He hesitated, and then plunged it downward. I smiled at him.  
  
"I love you father. I always have, I always will."  
  
A deep pain pierced my chest. My conscious faded quickly. Everything was going dark, fading into black.  
  
I couldn't think.  
  
I couldn't feel.  
  
If this was death, then maybe it wasn't so bad. I felt... Warm. Almost as if I was encircled in my mothers arms, like when I was little. Or as if Tomite was hugging me. As if he were kissing me; telling me that he loves me.  
  
"To... mi... te..."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_~End of Chapter 46~_  
  
That was... *Sniff* So hard to write... *Sniff* I had to stop in the middle of it and go away for a while. When you've written about characters like this for so long they almost feel like a friend to you.  
  
I always wanted Takiko to ask her father to kill her. I thought that it was, not only sadder, but showed Einosuke in a much nicer light, and I always liked Einosuke. Also, I think that after everything that she went through she probably really did want to die.  
  
I think that I should explain a few of my reasons for doing things now. One of the things that used to really annoy me was the way that so many people make Takiko wish to stay in the book world. That was _Suzuno's_ wish, not Takiko's. It is a known fact that Takiko only made two of her wishes before she was killed by her father. I knew that Takiko would want to stay in the book world because she was in love with Tomite so I had to make him die. But he couldn't die before the ceremony or else Genbu wouldn't be summoned. My solution? Making Kutou attack why Takiko was in a comma and having him die then.  
  
Since I was having Tomite die, I decided to make Hikitsu die as well because I thought that after they died they could both go up to Mt. Black together to guard the shinzaho. Thus, Hikitsu and Tomite's deaths came into the story.  
  
Well, on a happier note, more coming soon! Please review!


	47. The Shinzaho Comes To Mt Black

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**Narrator's POV**  
  
Namame, at home with his parents, sat up so hard that he hit his head against the low ceiling.  
  
Iname, in Kutou where he hoped to make peace with his family, fell off his horse.  
  
Hatsui, shopping in the capital, dropped his bags.  
  
Umiyame, somewhere out in the middle of nowhere doing who-knows-what, stopped hitting the straw dummy abruptly.  
  
Uruki, at home with her grandfather, dropped the glasses filled with drinks for the costumers at her grandfather's inn.  
  
Hikitsu, on Mt. Black, stopped talking and stared at Tomite.  
  
Tomite, also on Mt. Black, screamed in agony and grief.  
  
Each of them had felt it. It had been almost a month since Takiko had left in the book world, but all of them had felt their miko's life force ebb from existence.  
  


~*~   


_ "Dad?"_  


~*~  
  


  
It... It can't be....She... She can't be dead.... I... She just can't be...  
  
She was... So young... Hikitsu murmured.  
  
Indeed, all of them were thinking similar thoughts.  
  
Uruki sat down in a chair. Is everything okay, Bai-Ling? Her grandfather asked. She rarely dropped things and those glasses had made quite a mess that she hadn't even moved to clean up. People were staring at her too.  
  
Uruki paid no attention to them. Takiko's words were ringing in her head.  
  
I'm going. There's nothing that any of you can do to stop me. I don't belong in the world. Now... once I'm gone, I want to to take this to a mountain. It's called Mt. Black. There, you will find someone waiting for you. You must give it to him.  
  
She had never done that. She had forgotten all about it. She got up, rushing out of the inn and to the house that she and her grandfather shared. She rushed up to her room and began searching for the necklace that Takiko had given her that day.  
  
_How could I be so careless?! I have to find it. Takiko asked me to bring it to Mt. Black, wherever that is.'_  
  
Finally she found it, hidden on a shelf right above her bed, where she had tossed it after returning from the capital. She ran back to the inn as fast as she could.  
  


~*~   


_ "I don't know. What's a Genbu no Miko?" _  


~*~  


  
Grandfather! I have to go on a trip!  
  
But... But Bai-Ling... This is so sudden.  
  
Grandfather... Takiko is... Takiko is dead... I... I have to go somewhere.  
  
But how do you know?  
  
There's no time to explain. I have to go!  
  
Well... Very well. I'll help you pack. Quickly, the old man told one of the serving boys to watch the inn and left with Uruki. They packed a few saddle bags and Uruki was off in the sunset, spurring th horse on as fast as the poor animal could go.  
  
As he watched her ride off, Uruki's grandfather couldn't help but wonder where she was going. He had this strange sinking feeling in his gut the she would not be returning this time...  
  


~*~   


_"Well, at least I'm better than you! Say, Uruki, you're a good cook. Will you cook for us on our trip?"_  


~*~  
  


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**Uruki's POV**  
  
I rode for three days and three nights before I finally reached Mt. Black. I stood in front of the huge doors leading into the cave nervously. What was in there? Takiko said that someone would be waiting for me, but who? And what if I had waited to long and they had left?  
  
Slowly, I pushed open the doors. I will never forget what I saw.  
  


~*~   


_ "W-w-who are you? A-and how did you appear like that?" _  


~*~  


  
There was Tomite and Hikitsu, floating a few inches off the ground playing... Cards? I blinked a few times and rubbed my eyes. Yes they were really there. But how could that be? They were dead!  
  
And more importantly, why would a bunch of dead guys be playing cards?  
  
Go fish... Muttered Hikitsu in a bored voice. However, Tomite had already spotted me.  
  
Um... Hikitsu... He said, pointing. We... Um.... Have company...  
  
Hikitsu turned and for a second surprise flitted across his face. I'm sure that my mouth was agape and that my eyes were bulging out of their sockets, but I didn't care.  
  
T-T-T-Tom-m-mite......? H-H-H-Hik-kitsu.....? I stammered. I-It can-n't be.....  
  
Uruki? What are you doing here? Asked Tomite. I barely heard him. I was walking slowly up to Hikitsu.  
  
You... You c-can't be real. I whispered. I watched you die.... I noticed Tomite leave the area out of the corner of my eye, deciding to give up some privacy, and was immensely grateful.  
  


~*~   


_The four palaces of the heavens  
The four corners of the earth   
In the name of sacred law, faith, and virtue,   
I summon thee, Genbu, Guardian of the North.  
  
I beseech you to appear on earth   
From the palaces of heaven   
For the sake of those here who adore you  
And await your presence.  
  
Come to us!   
And with your mighty power   
Destroy all that is evil which threatens us...   
Save us, and grant us our wishes!  
  
Be sent to us now, from the heavens above!_  


~*~  


  
I was almost there when I started to run. I wanted to just run straight into his arms, to smell his familar smell, to feel his clothing rubbing against my cheek, everything. I wanted to know that he was real.  
  
No... I had to know!  
  
But all my hopes were dashed. Instead of running into his arms, I ran through them, a shiver of cold going through my body. I fell to my knees on the cold stone floor and just stared at it. I wouldn't cry. I wouldn't.  
  
He said, and for once I could hear the sadness in his voice. I said nothing. I... I'm sorry...  
  
What are you? I asked, almost choking.  
  
A ghost. Or... A spirt, really.  
  
But why are you here?! I asked, feeling frustrated. Not at him. Not really. At myself. At the world. At everything. Everything except him. Never him.  
  
Taiitsukun asked us to come back as spirts to protect something called a shinzaho. A shinzaho is a item that absorbs some of a gods power during the summoning. Two of these things are enough to summon any god. Eventually, Takiko's will be of use to some other miko. However, we do not know how long that will be. Therefore, because we are already dead, Taiisukun asked us to stay here and guard it for however long we may have to.  
  
Oh....... Well then... I suppose that you'll be needing this.... I said as I pulled the necklace out of my pocket. I held it out to him.  
  
Um... Uruki... I don't think that I can hold it. You will have to put it on the altar.  
  
  
  
"Just come with me.  
  
He led me to pair of doors that were even bigger than the ones leading into the cave. I looked up at them in awe. He closed his eyes, and they opened...  
  


~*~   


_ "You don't know how long I've waited for you to say that. I... I love you too. So much. Maybe... not for as long as you've loved me, but... For a while now. _  


~*~  


~*~   


_ "You're a Genbu Seishi? _  


~*~  


~*~   


_ "Oh, Tomite.... It's so painful... Help me, Tomite... Help me... _  


~*~  


~*~   


_"Tomite! Tomite! He's alive.......! He is alive, right? Please tell me that he's alive!_   


~*~  


~*~   


_"I... I want to say goodbye to you all. And thank you. For everything. _  


~*~  


~*~   


_"No, Uruki-san. You _needed_ me. Hokkan _needed_ me. You don't need me anymore. Once I'm gone, you can go home. You can all go home._  


~*~  


~*~  


_"I'm going. There's nothing that any of you can do to stop me. I don't belong in the world. Now, once I'm gone, I want you to take this to a mountain. It's called Mt. Black. There, you will find someone waiting for you. You must give it to him. _  


~*~  


  
~*~   
_No... Not as the miko. Just... Just Takiko. That's all I want you to remember me as._   


~*~  


~*~  


_ But they are to me. I... They're my friends. All of them. I know that they're just characters in a book to you, Father, but they're more than that to me. They all have feelings. They each have their own past and have gone through hardships. They all have or have had families who they love very much. They cry and bleed, even fall in love. Each one of them has risked their life for me before and I would do the same for them. Maybe they don't exist in this world. Maybe they're just characters on paper to you. Maybe you don't feel that they're really real; that they really exist. But they exist to me. To me they're all human. They're all my friends._  


~*~  


~*~  


_Father, I... I love Tomite. And Hikitsu too, just not in the same way. I love them all. I love them as friends. Now, I will never see any of them again. The only way for me to see any of them is to die. Father, I want to die. I want to see them again. And... And it hurts, Father. It just hurts so much. So... So please.... _  


~*~  


~*~   


_ "To... mi... te..._   


~*~  


  
  
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_~End of Chapter 47~_  
  
This is Takiko's tribute chapter. I'm sorry that there are so many quotes (more than there were for Tomite and Hikitsu), but there were so many good ones that I wanted to put in here. Unfortunantly, most of them are from the later chapters. Sorry! I didn't mean for it to be like that!  
  
Anyway, more coming soon! Please review!  
  
  
  
  
Thank you to Eluene who told me that somehow the formating on this chapter got messed up. As you can see, I've reposted it. Lets hope that it doesn't happen again!


	48. Letters and Confessions

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**Narrator's POV**  
  
He had killed her. He had killed his own daughter. _How... How could I?'_ Einosuke Okuda asked himself. He stared at the knife in his daughter's bosom and then at the blood an his hands. Well, at least her death was quick unlike the way that it would have been if he had just let Genbu devour her. Still... He had murdered someone. No... Not just anyone He had murdered his daughter. His Takiko. Now, he had nothing.  
  
Ever sense his wife died in a car accident years ago Takiko had been everything to him. He had sworn on his wife's grave that he would die before he let anything happen to her. And then he had killed her. Great way to keep that vow. Yep. Really great. But... Now that he thought about it... That vow had already been broken. He had allowed her to get sucked into that book and inside it she had gotten hurt. Really hurt. Or did that even count? Oh, he didn't know. He never seemed to know anything.  
  
He didn't want to be alive anymore. His wife – his Yoshi – and Takiko – his only daughter – were dead. One, had died at the hands of another. The other, died by his. Both, were murdered.  
  
For years he had hated the man that had killed his wife with a passion, but how was he any better. No. If anything, he was worse. The other man had been driving while drunk. He hadn't meant to kill Yoshi, even if he had made some very bad decisions. But Einosuke had meant to kill Takiko. So what if she had asked him to, that have him no right to **_murder_** her. Nothing gave him that excuse.  
  
_I should die,'_ he thought. _I should die for my sins.'_ He looked at the knife. _I could do it. I could kill myself. It's better than being here, without Takiko and Yoshi. Anything is better that that. And if I'm lucky, the gods will let me see them again before sending me to hell where I belong'_ He picked up the knife and positioned it above his heart. But then. he stopped. No. He couldn't do it yet. He had to make sure that the book fell into no more unfortunate hands. He grabbed it and tried to rip it in half.  
  
Nothing.  
  
He tried to rip a page.  
  
He couldn't.  
  
He lit a fire and threw the book into it.  
  
It didn't even get hot.  
  
_What won't anything I try work?'_ he thought. _This book... It can't be destroyed. But I can't make any young girl have to go through what Takiko went through and I can't make any parent stand by and watch while they do, not able to do anything like I had to.'_ There was only one thing that he could do. He sat down at his desk and began to write.  
  
_Takago Oosugi,  
  
You're the only one I can count on now. There's no time left. I discovered a certain book. A sutra know as _S_hi Ji Ten Chi Sho__. However, the book pulled my daughter Takiko into it. The book itself seemed to possess some magical power. My daughter became the heroine of the story, summoned the god Genbu and then returned to me. However, her body was wracked with pain. As her wishes were granted, her body was being devoured by Genbu! If my daughter was to be devoured, I decided I'd rather kill her by my own hand and then take my own life. Before carrying it out, though, I wanted to destroy the book. But even after I tried to set it on fire, it would not burn! I believer the book is waiting for the remaining priestesses to follow. For the priestesses of Byakko, Suzaku and Seiryuu.  
  
My friend, I beg you. You must seal this book away in my place! Please, this is my final request to you.  
  
Einosuke Okuda_  
  
There. He didn't have time to tell him everything, so he told him everything that he could. Now, all that was left was to kill himself. He put the letter in the cover of the book and the book in a box. Then, he wrote out Takago's address and put it in the mail. He could only hope that he would do as he had asked.  
  
Einosuke picked the knife back up and held it to his wrist. He then cut deeply into the vein there, watching the blood spill out, down his arm and onto the floor. He didn't try to lessen the pain. He thought that he deserved all of it. He was committing another sin by killing himself, but he didn't care. Soon, he would be with Takiko again. Soon, he would see Yoshi for the first time in ten years.  
  
Einosuke dropped to the floor. Slowly, he crawled to where Takiko laid on her bed.  
  
For...give me... my daugh...ter..... I did... it on...ly out... of love.... My... last act... of love... for... you........ His eyes slowly slid shut and he slowly breathed his last breath. His heart beat one last time, and he was gone. Gone to join his daughter and wife in the heavens above.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**Uruki's POV**  
  
I was at a loss for words. The room was beautiful. No... It was beyond beautiful. Everything seemed to almost sparkle. Compared to the dull part of the cave that we had just been in, this room was heaven on Earth.  
  
It... It's beautiful... I breathed.  
  
Yes. It is, said Hikitsu. I jumped and turned. I had forgotten that he was there! Then, I nodded and turned back to the room.  
  
Hikitsu said and he lead me to the center of the room. There, was a small shrine type thing. Place the shinzaho there, he told me, pointing. I took it out and placed it where he had said. Like the rest of the room, it seemed to sparkle, and somehow I could tell that it was very powerful. It just had the sort of aura. Isn't it strange. I never thought of things having auras. That always seemed to be a thing that people had. Oh, whatever. I guess that doesn't really matter.  
  
Hikitsu lead me out of the room and once again we were in a cold, damp, dreary cave, not a magical room.  
  
We sat in silence for a while. Tomite was still somewhere, but I did not know where. Finally, I gathered enough courage to ask the question that had been plaguing me since he had died.  
  
What did you want to say when you were dying. You said, Uruki... I have always lov....' but you couldn't finish. What's the ending? What were you trying to say? God. That sounded dumb, even to me. Somehow, I knew that the answer was obvious and I was just to dumb to see it. Maybe I was just an idiot.  
  
It doesn't matter, Hikitsu replied.  
  
But it is to me. I want to know.  
  
  
  
Please, Hikitsu. Maybe it's not that important to you, but it is to me.  
  
But..... Okay. You're going to think that it's stupid, but I wanted to tell you that I... I could have sworn that his pale features grew red as he spoke. That I love you  
  
Wh-What? I think that I just heard you wrong. Can you repeat that? Now I was sure of it. He was definitely blushing.  
  
I wanted to say that I love you. He wasn't looking at me anymore. Was he embarrassed? I couldn't imagine such a thing.  
  
Weather he was embarrassed or not, my heart had filled with joy. He was in love with me! He was in love with me! _He was in love with me!_ I had been in love with him for so long, and now I finally found out that he was in love with me too! But now he was speaking again and so I tore myself away from my thoughts to listen to him.  
  
I know that you don't feel the same way, but I've been in love with you for a long time now. I-If you don't feel that same way, we can just go back to... being friends.  
  
To my surprise, and I think his as well, I laughed. O-Of course I love you to! I said. I've loved you for a long time! I... I'm just so happy that you feel the same way!  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_~End of Chapter 48~_  
  
To be quite frank, I don't think that this chapter is as good as most of my others. I like that first half, but I'm just not good at love confessions.  
  
Well, Uruki and Hikitsu finally confessed their love for each other. Probably not in the way that most of you thought that they would, but I've actually been planing this for a while. A _long_ while. I hope that none of you mind how cheesy it ended up being.  
  
More coming soon! Please review!


	49. Loseing Everything

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**Narrator's POV**  
  
After Uruki and Hikitsu told each other how they felt, Uruki practically lived at Mt. Black. She often left for periods of time to go visit the other seishi or the capital where the emperor was. The other seishi also visited quite often, especially Umiyame. She always came for, as she said, one reason. To tease Tomite. Thus, he always said that he dreaded her visits, but everyone knew that he had just as much fun and thoughts that he jokes where just as funny as everyone else. Still, Umiyame was old, even though she didn't act it. One day, all seven of the seishi felt her life force fade from existence.  
  
Umiyame had died in her sleep. Later, when her spirit visited Mt. Taikyoku, she decided to go to heaven, for she desired to be with her sister again after a long wait and finally make amends. Also, she wanted to see if this man that her sister had fallen in love with was as bad as she had once judged him to be. She stayed only for a week, and by the time that she left, Taiitsukun and Nyan-Nyan were glad that she had.  
  
It was Iname who was the next to die. He went to Kutou, his home, to try to make amends with his family. Even though they were usually horrible to me, we had our good times, he said when the seishi asked him not to go, fearing for his safety. In the end, his own family killed him for betray them and his country. They did not even give him a proper burial service. Namame, guessing what had happened, brought his body back to Hokkan. One his grave stone (a very big memorial, like Umiyame's), they wrote about his life, his death, and his adventures as one of the Genbu Seishi. _He left his family for a cause, and came back only after he had righted wrongs and fought for his life many times. However, he was killed by those that he hoped to make peace with_ None of the seishi ever found out which family member killed him, but it was suspected that it was his father. Iname had once mentioned that his father seemed to hate him the most.  
  
Iname also wished to go to heaven when he got to Mt. Taikyoku. He wanted to see Yind and Kuro again. Besides, he had missed Umiyame, even if she could be quite annoying (Hey! You should respect your elders more!).  
  
Now, they Genbu Seishi had lost two (not counting Tomite and Hikitsu) of their number as well as their miko forever. Three of the seven still lived, but five still walked the surface of their world. All were racked with grief.  
  
I can't believe that there dead. It. It just doesn't seem real... Tomite told Uruki and Hikitsu one day, about six months after Iname's death. Uruki just laughed.  
  
Well, you're dead, aren't you? But she looked a bit sad at the mention of them. It was hard for any of them to think of the two, but they all did. They had to. Iname and Umiyame had been their comrades through many trials. Through thick and thin. Through everything. It would have been an insult to their memories not to think of them.  
  
It was three years later when Hatsui left them and went to join Umiyame and Iname. Just recently, he had decided to travel a bit. A plague swept through the tribe that he was staying with while stuck in the mountains because of the snow. He tried to get out before he became sick, but the snow was to deep. It was a month before Namame, who once again went to retrieve the body, was able to get through. There were no survivors.  
  
When he reached Mt. Taikyoku he, too, chose to go to heaven. He figured that because many of his seishi had gone there the others would too. Also, he wished to see Umiyame and Iname again.  
  
The others always said that the was that he had died was ironic. He had been the healer of the group and had died of an illness. Of course, he had never been able to heal illnesses, just physical injuries, but it still seemed ironic that he of all people would die of something other that old age.  
  
Now there were only two living seishi; Namame and Uruki. Uruki still lived on Mt. Black, but Namame was staying with his parents. One or two years after Hatsui's death, when he was 21, he married a girl called Shimaro. Together they had four children. Their first was never named, for the small died directly after his birth. After that, Shimaro bore twin girls. They called them Takiko, named for the Genbu no Miko, and Yumi. Two years after Takiko and Yumi were born, his wife bore a son that they called Dugureng (Iname's real name) in honor on Iname. They named him after Iname because they said that Iname's sacrifice for Hokkan, even though he was from Kutou, was admirable. Of course, they thought that same of the other seishi's sacrifices, but that Iname had given up his home and family for them had always touched Namame, as had the way that he was killed by his family's hand when he went back to Kutou to make peace with them. When Namame was around thirty, his parents died, leaving him heart broken. After that, he had many uneventful years which he spent with his family. He also brought them up to Mt. Black sometimes to visit Tomite, Hikitsu and Uruki. During that time, his son and daughters married and he and Shimaro got grandchildren. His grandchildren always loved to hear his stories about his time as one of the Genbu Seishi, as had his children when they were small. When Namame was almost sixty, his village was attacked by bandits. He died making sure that his wife, children and grandchildren got away as well as several other villagers. He single-handedly saved thirty two lives, but lost his own in the progress.  
  
When he reached Mt. Taikyoku, Namame decided to go to heaven, just like the ones before him.  
  
Namame, like the others, was given a monument describing his life, his time as one of the Genbu Seishi, and his death. Uruki was the only seishi able to attend his funeral.  
  
After Namame's death, Uruki no longer left Mt. Black except to get what she absolutely needed, such as food. She lived to be very old and died in her sleep. In her last moments, she told Hikitsu how much she loved him and how they would all see each other again. When she got to Mt. Taikyoku, she too wished to go to heaven. The last of the seishi had passed on. Now, they were all dead. All Tomite and Hikitsu could do was wait. They waited.... And waited... And waited.... They waited for three hundred years for the miko who would need the shinzaho. Sometimes, thieves would come seeking the shinzaho, but none left alive. Once every hundred years, Taiitsukun would stop by to check on them. Nyan-Nyan came too. Each time was a memorable occasion. However, other than that, the two of them had nothing to do. Over time, thieves came less and less frequent and the days seemed to stretch into months. Neather knew how long it would take for a miko to come. But one day, the doors opened and in came a young, ditsy girl claming to be the Suzaku no miko with six of her seishi.  
  
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**Tomite's POV**  
  
If I could live forever, I would be a blessed woman indead.  
  
I once heard an old woman in my village say that. At the time, I had agreed with her. Now, I would do just about anything to die.  
  
Do any of you realize what a curse it is to live for hunderads of years? You watch everyone that you know and love die. You walk like a ghost throughout this world, afraid to get close to everyone for fear of looseing them. That is, if I could I'm sure that's how it would feel. In my case, I sit in my cave, alone except for one. Edventually, it got so that Hikitsu and I only had one thing to talk about. Our time as members of the Genbu Seishi. But in many ways, that was painful to talk about. It reminded us of Takiko and the others. That we were the only ones left. Isn't that strange? We were the firest to die, but the last to leave this world.  
  
I wondered if the others had decided to stay at Mt. Taikyoku. I wondered if they were happy, wherever they were. I wondered many things, and when I had run out of things to wonder about, I just sort of wondered.  
  
After Uruki confessed her feeling to Hikitsu, he slowly became to become more open. That was all Uruki's doing. She thawed the ice around his heart that had grown there since Sora had died. After she died, that ice came back. For days, he wouldn't say anything. He would just sit in the courner. At first, I wondered what was going through his head, but then I realized... I knew. He was going through the same thing that I had gone through when I had felt Takiko die within me. I knew that it wasn't quite the same. Eaither way, I neve would have seen her again. But still, it hurt so much. I had never wanted her to die. That was the last thing that I had wanted. I had wanted her to _live_; to be _happy_. Even if that meant her falling in love with another man.  
  
But anyway, Hikitsu and I waited for a miko for three hunderd years until one day... she came. The two of us heard somethng outside the cave. We had been talking about our time as Genbu Seishi when there was a huge rowr. It sounded half human, half wolf. There was sounds of fighting. The two of us stood up.  
  
What do you think it is? I asked. Hikitsu just shrugged. The fighting sounds went of for a few more minutes, then everything was quiet. But not for long. There were more sounds, different from the last ones. Sounds of moving something. Then another huge bang, like something was dropped. Once again, there was sclience. We did not hear the young miko find her fallen seishi. We did not hear the seishi see their comrad, lost to them forever, as we had seen so many of out own lost. We heard nothing.  
  
Until the door opened...  
  
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_~End of Chapter 49~_  
  
Origionaly, this was going to be the last chapter, but it got to long and I want to show the fight beetween the Genbu and Suzaku Seishi. I suppose that I could end the fic now, but one more chapter can't hurt anyone. So, more coming soon! Please review!


	50. The Book is Closed

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.  
  
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**Narrator's POV**  
  
It's opening! Tomite and Hikitsu heard someone say as the doors opened. They stood, tense, wondering who it was this time, hoping for the millionth time that it would be a miko. But always in the past their hopes had been betrayed, so there was no longer much.  
  
I've got a bad feeling no da. Someone else said.  
  
No da? Tomite whispered to Hikitsu, trying not to laugh.  
  
said a younger voice. It sounded like a child.  
  
Chichiri is the name of one of the Suzaku Seishi! Whispered Tomite excitedly.  
  
Don't get your hopes up, whispered Hikitsu, They're probably impostors. We've seen their kind before.  
  
The other voice spoke again as Hikitsu and Tomite whispered, but neither of them caught what it said.  
  
The doors finally opened fully, letting in the daylight.  
  
It's so dark... And cold! Said a young female voice. Tomite couldn't help but think, _Well of course it's cold! This is Hokkan, isn't it? Everywhere is cold, and I should know! I've been all over this frozen waste land!'_  
  
Well, let's get going! The first voice that they had heard said. Tomite and Hikitsu watched as the seven people walked into the cave and across it's long length. The door closed, just as it was supposed to, when they were about half of the way across the cave.  
  
The door closed! Shouted a man. Tomite and Hikitsu recognized his voice as the one they had heard barking out the order only a moment ago. The girl with them tripped then, letting out a cry. The man cried, Miaka, what's wrong?!  
  
_So Miaka is the girl,'_ thought Hikitsu.  
  
I dunno! I slipped on something!  
  
Okay! I'll get us some fire in here! Said a red haired man. He took out a fan-type thing and some flames burst out of it. However, this act did not convince Tomite and Hikitsu that they were the seishi and the miko. They had battled foes with magic before. It did not change anything.  
  
As the light from the fire shown throughout the cave, the girl, Miaka, screamed.  
  
B-B-Bones! They're bones!  
  
Like we couldn't see that? said the red head, and Tomite couldn't help but agree with him. "Human bones... the blue haired man whispered. That's when Tomite made his move.  
  
Quickly, he shot many ice arrows at the group. But the blue haired man was also a skilled fighter, and Tomite's skills were rusty, for he had not battled in many years and had not had a battle where he actually had to work since Takiko left.   
  
Look out! the blue haired man yelled and ducked in front of the girl, his arms up in protection.  
  
Miaka cried.  
  
_And Tamahome is the blue haired man's name. Or... At least that's what he's calling himself, for if he is an impostor, then that cannot be his name,'_ thought Hikitsu.  
  
I'm okay. It's just a scratch. Then, he looked at the arrows disbelievingly. He had obviously never seen anything like them and Tomite smirked. He would be seeing more.  
  
You who seek the Shinzaho will find only ill fortune! Cried Hikitsu. The thieves looked to where his voice came from and Hikitsu and Tomite showed themselves, letting their symbols glow, surrounding themselves with a green aura.  
  
Wh-Who are they?! asked the red head.  
  
The cold is incredible! wondered , for the two of them had sent a wave of cold air towards them.  
  
We will never give the Shinzaho to you! Hikitsu told them.  
  
Who are you?! Seiryuu seishi?!?! Show yourselves to us! cried Miaka.   
  
The girl has spirit... My name is Hikitsu! Hikitsu said-there would be no harm in giving his name as they would be dead soon anyway. He could only hope that Tomite would follow his lead.  
  
He needn't have worried.  
  
And my name's Tomite! Tomite cried after Hikitsu finished. We are the guardians of the Genbu no Miko's Shinzaho!  
  
Wait a minute... Hikitsu, Tomite? This was Tamahome  
  
Y-You mean...?! This came from a blue haired man carrying a monks staff. The two Genbu Seishi recognized his voice as the one who had expressed worry as the doors were opening.  
  
We are the Genbu Seishi! Cried Tomite as he drew another arrow. He shot at Miaka, but Tamahome grabbed her and pulled her out of the way just in time.  
  
The Genbu Seishi?! cried the monk.  
  
Wh-What do you mean?! Didn't they die 200 years ago?! This came from the red head. Hikitsu ignored them, beginning to make some of his ice snakes.  
  
W-Wait! Listen to us! We're the Suzaku-- Miaka cried, but she cut herself off as she began to run towards us.  
  
Tamahome yelled.  
  
Hikitsu's ice snakes flew throughout the air, biting onto her, making her into a lethal statue of ice.  
  
Tamahome yelled again. He began to run towards her as Hikitsu said, We show no mercy to thieves, even if they are women.  
  
They had learned 200 years ago that woman could take care of themselves. Uruki and Umiyame had been glad to teach them that, and it was a lesson well learned.  
  
Don't worry. Soon your body will be covered with ice, Hikitsu continued. And then it will fall apart where you stand!  
  
Miaka! Hang on! Tamahome cried.  
  
REKKA SHIN'EN! The red head yelled, throwing his flames at Miaka, melting the ice.  
  
Miaka cried, telling the Genbu Seishi his name as well.  
  
Fire always beats ice! Just leave this to me! Tasuki stated confidently.  
  
No! Don't! I'll handle... Miaka started, but was cut off.  
  
Miaka! Get back! This was Tamahome, and Hikitsu and Tomite couldn't help but thinking that he said that a bit randomly.  
  
This was Miaka.  
  
If we don't break through them, Nuriko will never forgive me!  
  
Hey!! Get yer smoochin' in when we aren't in a battle!!!  
  
Tomite was beginning to like the one called Tasuki. At least he knew better than to pronounce his love during a battle! But Tamahome ignored his .  
  
I promised him that I would make you happy! There was a pause, then he turned to the seishi, a red symbol glowing on her forehead.  
  
If we break through this, it means we'll be together that much sooner!  
  
You fools! you think that you can defeat us? said Tomite.  
  
Why don't you engage them, Tomite. The bones at their feet need company. said Hikitsu. He was tired of just standing around. Besides, he had had no action since the last thieves, almost 75 years ago.  
  
Shut up! The Suzaku Seishi doesn't step back from anything! Yelled Tasuki. This surprised the Genbu Seishi. Here was a proclamation that they were the Suzaku Seishi and not just thieves. They hadn't been suspecting that.  
  
They Suzaku Seishi? You're the Suzaku Seishi? Said Hikitsu softly. He wanted to believe that they were. He really did. But how could he?  
  
Tasuki, I'll take the one on the left! Cried Tamahome. Then, he ran at Tomite, yelling. Tomite only smiled and began to make his Ring of Restriction' that he had perfected over the years.  
  
REKKA SHIN'EN!!! Tasuki was yelling as he ran at Hikitsu. Hikitsu countered his flames with his own ice dragons.  
  
Same trick again, huh?! Tasuki scoffed, his flames melting the snakes.  
  
The flames split up! The child cried.  
  
Leave this to me! Tasuki said. I've still got a trick or two hidden up my sleeve!  
  
Meanwhile, Tamahome was stuck in Tomite's Ring of Restriction'. He screamed in pain.  
  
Didn't see that move coming, did you? Asked Tomite. That ring will get smaller and smaller until it slices your body in two!   
  
There's no WAY I'm going to die here! Tamahome said, and with that he broke the Ring of Restriction'.  
  
Tasuki made a circle in the air with his fan and said, Let's finish That same flame appeared around Hikitsu's feet and covered him. Tamahome came flying throughout the sky aimed at Tomite and....  
  
Went through him.  
  
He... He went through him! said Miaka.  
  
Sorry, but that won't work, said Hikitsu, gesturing to the fire around him.  
  
Shouted Tamahome.  
  
The fire around Hikitsu went up, and dispersed.  
  
Anything you try will be useless. No man alive can beat us! said Hikitsu to the stunned Suzaku Seishi. The bodies we abandoned two centuries ago are long since destroyed!  
  
"Souls left behind... Spirits?! Cried the monk.  
  
I don't CARE if they are spirits, they should take us on hand to hand like REAL men! yelled Tasuki.  
  
They aren't real men anymore!! There're some basics here you just aren't getting." Replied Tamahome.  
  
If you understand, then stop this useless fight, said Hikitsu, getting bored of them. Every single time people had the same reaction. It got old after awhile.  
  
It's time we stopped playing, Hikitsu, said Tomite, also ready for the fight to end. Then, turning towards the Suzaku Seishi, he said, Now, know the loyalty we have for the Genbu no Miko!  
  
Hikitsu began to make his ice snakes as Tomite watched.  
  
Yelled Miaka. She ran forward, then kneeled in front of Tomite and Hikitsu. Please! Please, I beg you! Let us pass!  
  
one of her seishi said, but all of Tomite and Hikitsu's attention was on the girl in front of them. And she convinced them to test her. They froze her in a block of ice. They had gotten that idea while thinking of when Takiko had been frozen by Miboshi. And she... Broke out. It was amazing! Her seishi ran towards her, yelling her name.  
  
Tomite... Did you see it? Hikitsu asked quietly.  
  
"I saw. For just a moment, she was surrounded by a red life-force. It looked like fire. That was... The flames of Suzaku!  
  
He was amazed! They had finally found her! She wasn't a thing like he had imagined. She wasn't a thing like his Takiko! But they had found her! They could give her the Shinzaho! They could go to where their friends were!  
  
The miko talked with her companies (something about a Nuriko), but Hikitsu interrupted them. Like Tomite, he just wanted to give her the Shinzaho and have her go, but these things had to be done properly.  
  
You have demonstrated your power, Suzaku no Miko, he said, smiling in a way that he had not since Uruki had died.  
  
Wh-What's with them? Asked Tasuki, obviously not understanding the sudden change in attitude.  
  
Power? I don't think I understand, said Miaka.  
  
All of you, we beg your pardon, Hikitsu continued, ignoring their comments.  
  
You mean you're going to let us pass?  
  
Yes. We will lead you to the Shinzaho. Right?  
  
Well, I guess we have to now, said Tomite, but both knew that he would have told the miko the same thing.  
  
And so, they led them to the doors that led to the Shinzaho. These doors are kept sealed with our will," Hikitsu told the onlookers.  
  
Wow... They're huge! This was Tasuki, of course. Who else would make such an obvious observation?   
  
For 200 years, we've defended them, Hikitsu said quietly. And now, we will open them.  
  
The two of them concentrated, and the doors began to open slowly, a long hallway with an ornamental altar coming into view, a small emerald object glinting from behind a white veil.  
  
That's the Shinzaho there, Tomite said, pointing to the altar.  
  
Will the miko only please follow us in?  
  
They walked up to the altar and gave the miko the shinzaho. She seemed so happy, and seemed to think that she could summon Suzaku with just that one. Tomite, of course, told her otherwise. So she and her seishi set off on their way. But as they walked off, the miko turned back.  
  
What about you now? She asked them.  
  
Our duty had come to an end, Tomite said.  
  
Once this door is closed, we will return to heaven, Hikitsu added.  
  
It's been a long time... 200 years... Tomite whispered, this time not to the miko, but to Hikitsu.  
  
he replied in the same tone. And then the door shut.  
  
  
  
The next thing they knew, they were at Mt. Taikyoku. Both chose to go to heaven, like their friends. The next thing they knew, they were walking in a garden. In front of the were many people. There were the four gods, each glowing in their color. Then, there was one person glowing in red.  
  
And, of course, there were six people glowing in green.  
  
Takiko was already running towards Tomite, and Uruki wasn't far behind.  
  
Takiko cried as she hugged him. Uruki didn't say anything. No words were needed. She just smiled and gazed into Hikitsu's eye as Tomite kissed Takiko again and again as if he hadn't seen her for hundreds of years, which he hadn't. The others came up and joined them, and they were all together once more. All of the Genbu Seishi, and their precious miko, never to be separated again.  
  
For now, the book was closed...  
  
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_~End of Chapter 50~  
~This point marks the end of The Genbu Story~_  
  
This is the last chapter! That's it! No more! I'm finally done! Wow... That felt strange... I'm done... It's hard to believe... I started this at the end of my seventh grade year and now that I'm over halfway through my eighth grade year I'm done. I made this chapter extra long. Sort of like a going out bash. ^^ I hope that you like it, as well as the rest of the story. Now, there are several things that I would like to clear up here in my last AN.  
  
  
  
**The History of The Genbu Story:** I just wanted to mention a few things about this. The Genbu Story was born slowly. It all started when I was young and stupid (which I still am). I was looking through some sties when I found out that there were Genbu and Byakko Seishi. I started to look things up about the Genbu Seishi and found that the only consistent info was on Tomite and Hikitsu. All the other info was fan stuff. I looked more into it, and found out about the one episode that Tomite and Hikitsu appeared. This, of course, just made me more curious. So, I started to read as many Genbu fanfics as I could find. Some of them were bad, some were great, and some fell somewhere in-between. All were different in some way or another. But there was one thing that they all had in common; none of them were finished (If any of you can tell me of a finished multi-chapter Genbu fic besides this one, I will be very impressed). Also, many of them had Takiko make three wishes. Now, because of! my intensive on the Genbu Seishi, I know that she only made two wishes. People were making her wish to stay in the book world. But that was Suzuno's wish, not Takiko's! This really got on my nerves.  
  
I started to imagine what sort of things the Genbu Seishi went through. And finally, I began to write it down as The Genbu Story.  
  
  
**Namame's Symbol:** As some of you may have noticed, about halfway I changed where Namame's symbol. I forget where it used to be, but now it's on his wrist. I went back to my earlier chapters and changed that as well.  
  
  
**Hatsui's Power:** Hatsui's powers are similar to Mitsukake's, but I want it to be clear that they are not the same. Hatsui uses a special knife ti cut his arm, sort of like an offering to Genbu. Then, he recites a chant and lets his blood drip onto the wound that he is healing. It is his blood that makes the healing possible. Unlike Mitsukake's, Hatsui _must_ make an offering (his blood) to his god before using his power.  
  
  
**Rewriting:** I wanted to tell everyone that hasn't read the AN that I added to the first chapter, I will be rewriting many of the first chapters. Now that I look back on them, I'm not satisfied with them. Besides, I've been complaining about people not keeping true to the story, and I didn't! These rewritten chapters will probably be much longer than the original ones as I am trying to fit the same information in them with much more detail. The chapters that I will be rewriting are 1-19. Feel free to read them if you ever want to as while there will be some similarities to the original ones, there will also be many differences.  
  
  
**Names: **A while ago, someone asked me to tell everyone who each of the seishi were and what their real names were. I never got a chance then, but I do now. I forget who asked me, but this is for you:  
  
Tomite: Chamka Tan   
Hikitsu: Entato Chen   
Uruki: Bai-Ling Soo   
Namame: Temur Bataar   
Iname: Dugureng Zaan   
Hatsui: Shi-Hsiu Sorinem   
Umiyame: Mishcorme ?? (Her last name shall never be revealed. Mostly because I don't know it. It is just one of the great mysteries of the Genbu Seishi.)  
  
  
**Writing About Non-Characters:** I once had somebody ask me why people would write about non-characters. This is my answer for anyone else who might wonder that. I write about these characters because there are so many mysteries surrounding them. We only see two of the Genbu Seishi in the series. We never get a good idea of their personalities, either. And we, or at least I, wonder who were they? What were they like? What sort of things did they have to go through to summon Genbu? As fans, we want to answer these questions. How? We write. That's what I did. I asked, and I answered. Besides, you can still get the idea from something (I'm really bad at thinking up my own things), but be able to make up your own characters. That's really nice.  
  
  
**Fixing Things: **I want to give everyone who told me that I was doing something wrong (a.k.a. spelling or grammar) a special thanks. I went back and fixed what you told me about and because of that, you've made this story a little better. When I find something wrong, I fix it and re-load it. I know that many authors do not partake in this practice, but I do. I have tried to make this fic better in every way possible.  
  
  
**Betas:** When I first started this, my beta was Juggalette. But one day, she stopped returning my chapters. I'm not sure what happened to her, but I waited for a few MONTHS before I finally started to just upload them. (Juggalette, if you ever read this, then please e-mail me and tell me what happened.) Then, otaku-no-miko e-mailed me asking me if I wanted a beta. I would like to thank her. Without her, I'm not sure what I would have done. Everyone, if you ever have the chance, read her stories, for she is a superb writer. Or, at least much better than I am. Without her, this would be a much worse story.  
  
  
**Reviewers:** I would just like to thank all my reviewers one last time. Without you, this would not have been possible. Thank you so much. I really cannot say this enough.  
  
  
**"More coming soon! Please review!":** As many of you have noticed, I say this after every chapter. This will be the first time that I will not be able to write "More coming soon!" I do not know where this practice came from, but oh well. Actually, I'm not even sure why I'm mentioning it.  
  
  
**Questions:** If any of you have any questions about this fic in any way, please e-mail me at m a g g i e o @ m a c . c o m (without the spaces of course--FF.net hates things like this for some reason), and I will be happy to answer them. It doesn't matter what they're about, I want to make sure that everything in this fic is understandable.  
  
  
  
That's just about it. Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck with me through the end. It means so much to me. Please review!


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